AfD: Menschenrechtsinstitut nennt AfD Gefahr für Menschen mit Behinderung – DIE ZEIT

The German Institute for Human Rights (DIMR) has issued a formal warning stating that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party poses a significant danger to people with disabilities. According to an analysis by the institute, the devaluation of individuals with disabilities is not incidental but is a manifester Bestandteil, or manifest part, of the party’s ideological orientation.

The institute’s findings suggest that the AfD has undergone a process of continuous radicalization since its inception. This trajectory is linked to the party’s pursuit of a homogene Volksgemeinschaft, or homogeneous national community. The DIMR notes that this concept relies on national-völkisch ideas that mirror the ideology of National Socialism.

The analysis argues that this völkisch worldview inherently seeks to exclude individuals from society who are perceived as less capable or who are not considered healthy. By promoting a definition of the people based on these exclusionary criteria, the institute asserts that the party signals a willingness to marginalize those with disabilities.

Evidence of Systemic Devaluation

The German Institute for Human Rights supports its conclusions by citing specific actions and inquiries initiated by the AfD. A primary example is a 2018 parliamentary inquiry (Kleine Anfrage) submitted by the AfD faction to the German federal government.

In that inquiry, the party requested data on the number of severely disabled people in Germany and how those numbers had evolved since 2012. Specifically, the AfD sought information on how many of these disabilities had resulted from Heirat innerhalb der Familie, or marriage within the family. The party requested data on how many severely disabled persons had a migration background or did not hold German citizenship.

The DIMR states that this line of questioning reveals the party’s underlying attitudes toward disability. The institute notes that various organizations and associations have previously accused the AfD of attempting to establish a problematic link between disability, incest, and migration.

Opposition to Inclusive Education

The institute’s analysis also addresses the AfD’s stance on inclusion, particularly within the education system. The DIMR points to statements made by Björn Höcke, the party’s state chairman in Thuringia, as evidence of an indirect rejection of inclusive practices.

During an interview with the broadcaster MDR in August 2023, Höcke spoke about the need to remove certain Belastungsfaktoren, or burden factors, from the education system. The German Institute for Human Rights interprets these comments as a signal that the party views the inclusion of students with disabilities as a burden rather than a fundamental right.

Ideological Framework and Risks

The warnings issued by the DIMR are rooted in the legal and human rights framework that protects people with disabilities from discrimination and exclusion. The institute emphasizes that when a political party adopts an ideology centered on a purified or homogeneous national community, the rights of those who do not fit that ideal are placed at risk.

Hendrik Cremer, a jurist at the German Institute for Human Rights, contributed to the analysis which details how the party’s rhetoric moves beyond standard political disagreement into the realm of human rights concerns. The report suggests that the devaluation of people with disabilities is an integrated component of a broader right-wing extremist framework.

By linking disability to migration and suggesting that inclusive education is a burden, the institute argues that the AfD is fostering a climate that could lead to the systemic exclusion of vulnerable populations from public life and essential services.