Freie Sachsen (lit. 'Free Saxons' or 'Free Saxony') is a far-right monarchist, autonomist, and secessionist movement within the German State of Saxony. It seeks to restore the former Kingdom of Saxony through an autonomist government or a "Saexit if Necessary".[1][2]
Free Saxons Freie Sachsen | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Martin Kohlmann |
| Founded | February 2021 |
| Headquarters | Chemnitz |
| Membership (2023) | approx. 1,200 |
| Ideology | Saxon autonomism Saxon independence Saxon monarchism |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Colors | Green |
| Landtag of Saxony | 0 / 120 |
| Landrat of Saxony | 0 / 9 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| https://freie-sachsen.info/ | |
History
editFounding
editThe inaugural meeting of "Free Saxons" in the Bermsgrün guest house was an occasion to question the use of the municipal building.[3] The small party "Freie Sachsen"[4] played a key role in mobilizing for the protests against COVID-19 pandemic measures in Saxony.[5] The organization seeks to extend its influence from the streets to town halls and possibly also to the state parliament.[5]
On February 26, 2021, Martin Kohlmann became chairman of the newly founded organization "Freie Sachsen" (not to be confused with the party Freie Sachsen – Alliance of Independent Voters, founded in 2007) in the Haus des Gastes[3] in Bermsgrün, which describes itself as a party according to the party law. Contrarily, Freie Sachsen sees itself "in view of the state corona coercive measures" as an umbrella for a collection movement.[6] Within a few months, the organization dominated discourse on Telegram, which had 150,000 subscribers as of February 2022, and to control the radical actions of the COVID-19 pandemic protesters in Saxony.[7] Programmatically, they call for stronger cooperation with the Visegrád Group, with which they have views of security or family policy more in common than with West German federal states. The Free Saxons reject democracy and demand "to involve the Saxon royal family in shaping the future".[2][8][9]
The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Saxony classified the alliance as right-wing extremists in June 2021.[6] Since January 2022, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the Free Saxons as a suspected case of anti-constitutional activity and observed them nationwide.[7]
2022 and 2023 demonstrations
editAfter the Russian invasion of Ukraine in a series of anti-interventionist protests and demonstrations, Putin masks were worn and Russian flags waved during the group's "walks". The explanation of the Free Saxons: "Suddenly the unvaccinated is no longer the number one enemy!" Now "the Russians are the number one enemy".[8][10] Members of the party also take part in weekly Monday demonstrations to protest rising gas, energy, food prices, and immigration.[11] They also went on to take part in anti-interventionist protests alongside members of the state association of the AfD in Saxony and The Left party, in which they showed nostalgia for an independent eastern Germany.[1][12][13]
The party ran in the 2024 local elections in Saxony. They got 2.7% of the vote. In the 2024 state election later that year, they obtained 2.2%.
Party structure
editMembership and organization
editWith a membership of 1,200 people, the party accepts cross-party membership only as long as there is a basic commitment to the party's principles. Some of its members are part of other German political parties, including (and not limited to) The Republicans, Alternative for Germany, pro-Chemnitz, Free Voters and The Homeland (formerly the NPD). The Free Saxons see themselves as an umbrella organization.[14][15]
It campaigned for the party-list vote of AfD voters.[16]
Officials
edit- Chairman: Martin Kohlmann, founder of the Free Saxons, he is a lawyer and former member of The Republicans, German Social Union and founder of pro-Chemnitz;[17]
- Deputy chairmen: Stefan Hartung, The Homeland (NPD)[18] city councilor in Aue-Bad Schlema and district councilor in the Erzgebirge district, and Plauen bus operator Thomas Kaden;
- Treasurer: pro-Chemnitz functionary Robert Andrews, who is a city councilor in Chemnitz.
Election results
edit| State election, year | No. of overall votes |
% of overall vote & ranking |
No. of overall seats won |
+/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saxony, 2024 | 52,195 | 2.22 (#8) | 0 / 120
|
New |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Hewson, Jens Kastner, Jack (2023-09-17). "Why Does Eastern Germany Love Putin So Much?". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Winter, Steffen (2022-01-29). "(S+) Freie Sachsen: »Das sächsische Königshaus ist bei der Gestaltung der Zukunft einzubinden«". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ a b "23 | März | 2021 | Schwarzenberg-Blog" (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ Litschko, Konrad (2021-12-20). ""Freie Sachsen" heizen Coronaprotest an: Die Einpeitscher". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ a b "Right-wing extremist mobilization against the state".
- ^ a b Meisner, Matthias (2022-01-16). ""Freie Sachsen" im Corona-Protest: Rechte, die eine Partei sein wollen". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ a b tagesschau.de. "Verfassungsschutz: "Freie Sachsen" als Verdachtsfall". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ a b mdr.de. ""Freie Sachsen": MDR-Webserie "exactly" mit neuer Folge über Propaganda und Proteste | MDR.DE". www.mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ Winter, Steffen (2022-02-04). "Freie Sachsen: Nachkomme des letzten Königs will Verwendung eines Wappens untersagen". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ^ tagesschau.de. "Russlands Krieg: "Querdenker" für Putin". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ^ "Germans revive Cold War Monday demonstrations – DW – 09/05/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ Stanley-Becker, Isaac (2022-04-15). "Russia finds sympathy in Germany's east, Putin's old stomping ground". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "'Ordinary Germans are paying': anti-war protests stretch across central Europe". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- ^ Reuth, Sven (2023-12-04). "Freie Sachsen: Antritte in allen Kreisen geplant". COMPACT (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-11.
- ^ deutschlandfunkkultur.de. "Verdachtsfall Freie Sachsen - Die Spaziergänger mit der braunen Weste". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ "AfD und "Freie Sachsen": Verbündete Gegner". Tagesschau (in German). Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ^ "Neue Partei im Erzgebirge gegründet". www.freiepresse.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-12.
- ^ Stefan Hartung
- ^ Satzung der Bayernpartei, 30. October 2011, from: bayernpartei.de, 28 August 2018