Thuringia's intelligence chief urges risk management ahead of possible AfD state government

Thuringia's domestic intelligence chief has recommended "classic risk management" preparations following the AfD's election victory in Saxony-Anhalt, amid warnings from officials that a potential AfD-led state government poses a "real threat to national security." Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier described the anticipated AfD takeover as a real danger, while intelligence president Stephan Kramer suggested measures like graduated information rights and the need-to-know principle to protect sensitive sources if doubts arise about political leadership's security clearance. The AfD won nearly 44 percent of the vote on Sunday, more than doubling its 2021 share, while the CDU fell to 17.2 percent. State interior ministers are scheduled for three-day consultations starting Wednesday, though the meeting was planned before the election. Security officials have refrained from national preparations out of respect for the outgoing Magdeburg government, but a conference call among interior ministers is expected within two weeks.