The former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has become a case for the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution: Hans-Georg Maaßen is listed by the authority as a right-wing extremist.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has stored its former president Hans-Georg Maaßen in the intelligence information system of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the area of right-wing extremism. Maaßen is therefore also an object of observation for the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This is the result of research by the ARD political magazine Contrasts together with the news portal t-online.
According to the research, the BfV has an extensive collection of material on Maaßen, the evaluation of which led to him being stored in the right-wing extremism area. The BfV did not want to comment on this, citing personal rights.
Shortly after an inquiry with relevant questions from t-online and contrasts to Maaßen, he apparently went public himself on Wednesday. A blogger close to him quoted from a letter from the office to Maaßen. On 20 pages, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution quotes, among other things, statements made by Maaßen. Maaßen has now published the letter himself on his homepage.
Maaßen initially left a request from t-online and contrasts unanswered. He told “Tichys Insight” that the allegations were without substance and unjustified. This is an attack on the free democratic basic order by the Federal Minister of the Interior.
According to the research, Maaßen himself has been aware of the incident for several days. He had previously submitted a request for information to the BfV about data stored about him by the domestic intelligence service.
In August last year he had already suspected to the newspaper “Die Welt” that the BfV had created a case about him. At that time it became known that the authority had submitted a so-called inquiry about Maaßen to the state security department of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Such requests serve to exchange information between authorities.
According tocontrasts and t-online, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution also informed responsible members of the German Bundestag about the process in a secret meeting.
The lawyer Maaßen headed the BfV from 2012 to 2018. Since his temporary retirement, the former top official has repeatedly attracted attention with conspiracy ideology and radical right-wing statements.
Maaßen is chairman of the right-wing conservative association “Werteunion”. The members of the association voted on January 20th to found a party with the same name. In contrast to the CDU and other parties, the new party should not be a party with a “firewall,” said the “Union of Values.”
For the 61-year-old Maaßen, who announced his departure from the CDU last week after being a member for many years, being treated as an extremist could have significant consequences. Only recently have the requirements for constitutional loyalty of temporarily retired political officials been tightened.
However, the law does not come into force until April 1st. It provides for disciplinary consequences if political officials do not commit themselves to the free-democratic basic order through their entire behavior. This extends to removal from public service and withdrawal of pension.
Broadcast: Fritz, January 31, 2024, 5:30 p.m