- Previous military servicemember experiences a demotion in rank
A supporter of the extreme right-wing group, the Identitarian Movement (IB), in Germany, has lost his military rank and was fined around €23,000 by the Federal Administrative Court.
The 2nd Military Service Senate, in their ruling published on Tuesday, upheld the disciplinary action taken against the reserve lieutenant stationed in Leipzig. The court deemed that the soldier had breached his stance of allegiance to the constitution. (Case No.: BVerwG 2 WD 9.23)
As per the court, the individual actively participated in the IB in 2015/16. He played a role in setting up a regional group in Bavaria and even featured in a promotional video for the Identitarian Movement.
The IB was found to be pushing objectives against the constitution by the Federal Administrative Court at the time. It goes against the notion that all citizens are equal and fosters a distinction between 'first class' and 'second class' Germans. Furthermore, it advocates for the elimination of parties and parliament, which directly contradicts the democratic fundamental order.
The soldier joined the IB out of personal belief
The court, following its investigation, discovered that the soldier, who has now left the military, joined the IB's program based on his personal beliefs. "Considering that he was aware of the political objectives of the Identitarian Movement and had the intellectual capacity to analyze them due to his studies in political science, it can be inferred that his affiliation with the Identitarian Movement was, at the very least, intentionally and unconstitutionally conditional."
Despite his background in political science, the soldier, who is of German origin from Leipzig, continued his involvement with Germany's Identitarian Movement after joining in 2015/16. His actions, including setting up a regional group in Bavaria and appearing in a promotional video, further solidified the IB's stance against Germany's constitutional values.
