German lawyers launch legal aid network to counter potential AfD policies in Saxony-Anhalt
A team of lawyers and NGOs created the Recht Solidarisch platform to help residents, especially foreigners, challenge discriminatory measures that could arise under an AfD-led Saxony-Anhalt government.
Legal experts and civil-society actors surveyed a wide range of organisations in Saxony-Anhalt, from refugee councils to queer groups, to gauge pressure points ahead of a possible Alternative for Germany (AfD) administration. Their findings led to the creation of Recht Solidarisch, an online hub offering guidance on rights, court routes and collective legal action, with a focus on protecting foreign residents who often face discriminatory treatment.
Interviewees reported existing hardships such as payment-card restrictions for asylum seekers, inadequate housing and looming cuts to NGO funding. The platform also aims to help parents challenge AfD proposals like barring disabled children from regular schools. Its design draws on the American Civil Liberties Union’s advance-planning approach used during the Trump transition, emphasizing early preparation rather than reactive lawsuits. Organisers are now seeking feedback on language options to make the site accessible to non-German speakers.
Why it matters
It shows how civil society can proactively safeguard rights before a far-right government enacts restrictive policies.
How this story developed
- Sep 23 Heidenau city council will vote on a motion, supported by CDU and AfD members, to reject two proposed Stolpersteine for Fritz and Martha Goldstein and instead favor a collective memorial at the Nordfriedhof.
- Sep 24 Merz faces mounting pressure after the regional setbacks.
- Sep 24 The Israeli ambassador warned of an “immediate existential threat” to Berlin’s Jewish community over alleged antisemitism in the party.
- Sep 24 After the recent Berlin vote, Die Linke’s pledge to nationalise large landlords has deepened divisions, while its need for a coalition with the Greens and SPD faces scepticism.
- Sep 24 The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance pledged support for the AfD’s speaker nominee, creating a parliamentary majority for the AfD in Saxony‑Anhalt.
- Sep 27 The council has scheduled a vote on the proposed ban.
- Sep 27 SPD and Greens issued a joint warning demanding Die Linke reject antisemitism and clan crime before coalition talks proceed.
- Sep 29 AfD parliamentary group chair Ulrich Siegmund said he will stand for the Minister-President post in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament in December.
- Oct 3 Tobias Rausch was elected speaker of the Landtag.
- Oct 3 AfD now ahead of the Union in the latest INSA Sunday poll, widening the gap.
- Oct 5 The council moved from debating the proposal to formally approving the resolution that declines new Stolpersteine applications.
- Oct 6 The party moved from campaign rhetoric to a detailed plan to expropriate apartments from eight major landlords.
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