Former Stasi officer runs for AfD in Saxony-Anhalt

Frank-Ronald Bischoff, a former Stasi officer, is running as an AfD candidate for the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. Bischoff, who served as a special operations officer for the Ministry for State Security between 1977 and 1989, is a direct candidate for the Wernigerode constituency and holds the 33rd position on the state party list.

Johannes Beleites, the Saxony-Anhalt state commissioner for the investigation of the SED dictatorship, has called on Bischoff to withdraw his candidacy. Beleites stated it would be ‘hardly bearable’ for a former full-time employee of the GDR state security service to represent the state in parliament, noting that Bischoff’s former role involved handling citizens applying for exit visas from the GDR, a process that could lead to job losses, surveillance, or imprisonment.

Federal Commissioner for Victims of the SED Dictatorship, Evelyn Zupke, also expressed that the situation is hurtful to victims of the former regime. Beleites further urged the AfD to clarify its stance regarding the SED dictatorship, citing perceived tendencies within the party to downplay the regime.