Berlin court blocks AfD politician from higher police service over constitutional loyalty doubts

A police officer's bid for advancement

An unnamed Berlin police officer, who served since 2011, applied in 2025 for a study programme leading to the higher service of the criminal police. In November 2025 he received a preliminary admission commitment and, relying on it, resigned from his existing civil servant post. The course was to begin on 1 April 2026.

The AfD connection surfaces

When the state of Berlin learned that the officer had concurrently served as the AfD faction leader in a Brandenburg municipal council, it revoked the admission in March 2026. The official reason was

“doubts about character suitability”

. Separately, the domestic intelligence agency of Brandenburg had classified the state branch of the AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist effort in 2025, following years as a suspected case.

Emergency appeal to the court

The politician resigned his municipal mandate weeks ago and sought emergency legal protection before the Berlin Administrative Court. He argued he had not been integrated into supra-local party structures and claimed he had not recognised the full extent of the AfD's development.

The court's reasoning

The court rejected the application, citing justified doubts about the applicant's loyalty to the constitution. In its decision, issued on Thursday and published Monday, the court noted that he remained an AfD member, had stood as a candidate in local elections, and served as faction leader — facts that

“show his substantive identification with the goals of the party”

. The judges found he had not credibly demonstrated a full personal break with the party. His mandate resignation, they observed, was motivated by the extremist classification, but that classification had already been in place for a year and must have been known to him.

What happens next

The ruling is an interim measure in an expedited procedure; the main proceedings are still pending. The officer can lodge a complaint with the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.