A candidate running for the state parliament in the Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party - Kuffert collaborated with the Stasi and offers a defense.
Roman Kuffert stated he didn't collaborate with the Stasi. He falsified information during questioning and was merely an "IM candidate." "Inoffizieller Mitarbeiter," or "IM," stands for a non-official worker. "The Stasi played no role in my life," asserted the AfD politician. Deeply immersed in an oppositional setting, Kuffert continued.
Through his files, it's apparent he didn't report any significant contacts. In his 65-year-old voice, he examined his Stasi records from 1979. The Stasi terminated his involvement "due to unreliability and demonstrated deception." This is confirmed by an agency memo. Not long after, the Stasi discovered "any cooperation efforts were thwarted by his absence from gatherings and numerous unsuccessful attempts at personal contacts."
Approximately twelve months following his Stasi involvement, Kuffert proclaimed he managed to flee to West Berlin. "I'd be happy to let someone review my Stasi files to address any uncertainties," he said.
In a 2021 federal election candidate profile, Kuffert penned that he could now engage in "openly and freely practicing my personal resistance, combating the specter of socialism" after his escape.
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- Despite the controversial past, Roman Kuffert, the AfD candidate in the Barnim district, won a significant number of votes during the recent state election in Brandenburg.
- The Bild newspaper published an investigative report uncovering Kuffert's past as an "Inoffizieller Mitarbeiter" (IM) for the GDR's Ministry for State Security (MfS), also known as the Stasi.
- The Stasi had initially recruited Kuffert, hoping to exploit his belonging to the opposition, but quickly ended their cooperation due to Kuffert's lack of engagement and numerous failed attempts at contact.
- In Eberswalde, where Kuffert resides, there have been ongoing discussions regarding the implications of his past involvement with the Stasi and its influence on his political stance today.
- The State Elections Committee in Brandenburg has not yet made a decision on whether to officially investigate Kuffert's past association with the Stasi or consider disqualifying him from serving in the State Parliament.
- Over the years, several high-ranking political figures from various parties have faced allegations of past ties to the Stasi, raising questions about the extent to which the agency's influence persists in contemporary German politics.
