Hospice worker dismissed for running as AfD candidate

Martina Müller, a hospice worker in Jever, Lower Saxony, has been summarily dismissed from her position at mission:lebenshaus gGmbH following her decision to run as an Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) candidate for the Friesland district council and the Wangerland municipal council.

The employer, a subsidiary of the Verein für Innere Mission in Bremen, stated that the candidacy is incompatible with the values of the church and diaconal work, which include human dignity, neighborly love, and solidarity. The organization noted that the AfD in Lower Saxony has been classified by constitutional protection authorities as an extremist group.

Müller, who has worked at the hospice for 15 years, expressed dismay over the loss of her livelihood and is currently preparing a lawsuit for protection against dismissal. The case raises legal questions regarding whether political candidacy can serve as grounds for termination, particularly within religious institutions.