AfD Politician Martin Sichert Barred From District Election in Lower Saxony
Friesland Election Committee Rejects Sichert Bid
On July 21, 2026, the district election committee in Friesland, Germany, voted 5-1 to reject the candidacy of AfD politician Martin Sichert for the upcoming September 13 district administrator election, following an official assessment of his constitutional loyalty under amended Lower Saxony municipal election laws.
Intelligence Classification Triggers Ministerial Review
The decision to bar Sichert from the ballot stems from a review conducted by the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior, which acts as the municipal supervisory authority. According to reporting from Epoch Times, the ministry evaluated publicly available sources and consulted with the state’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution. That state intelligence branch classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) regional chapter in Lower Saxony as a “observation object of significant importance” back in February, a designation Epoch Times states is equivalent to being classified as definitively right-wing extremist in other German federal states. An administrative court in Hanover subsequently rejected an emergency appeal filed by the party against that classification in early June.
Civil Servant Mandate and Social Media Evidence
State authorities hold that party membership alone does not automatically invalidate a candidate’s suitability for a public office. However, the legal framework governing administrative officials in Lower Saxony mandates that anyone seeking the post of district administrator—a position classified as a civil servant role—must guarantee that they will stand up for the free democratic basic order at all times. In Sichert’s case, the Ministry of the Interior presented specific evidence to the district election committee, including social media statements made by the federal parliamentarian that officials argued could be perceived as downplaying National Socialism, according to NDR reporting.
Approved Candidates and Sichert’s Defense
Three candidates were approved for the September vote: Rolf Neuhaus representing the SPD, Sibylle Raquet for the CDU, and Jan-Ole Möller representing Die PARTEI, as reported by Epoch Times. Sichert, who has served as a member of the Bundestag since 2017 after entering parliament via the Bavarian state list, strongly contested the committee’s ruling. In a video statement, the politician called the exclusion “demokratietechnisch extremst gefährlich” and a “massiver Eingriff in das freie und gleiche Recht bei der Wahl”, maintaining that he is “absolut verfassungstreu” and spent 15 years working without incident as an IT expert in public service prior to winning his parliamentary mandate.
Pending Legal Challenges and Electoral Scrutiny
While Sichert cannot force his inclusion on the September ballot through immediate legal challenges, he indicated an intent to pursue further judicial steps against the measure, potentially including an election protest after the new district council is constituted.