Andreas Kalbitz

Andreas Kalbitz (born 17 November 1972) is a German politician and was from 2013 to 2020 member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and since 2017 chairman of the faction of his former party in the Landtag of Brandenburg, a state parliament.[1]

Andreas Kalbitz
MdL
Andreas Kalbitz in 2016
Leader of the Opposition in the Landtag of Brandenburg
In office
25 September 2019 – 18 August 2020
Preceded byIngo Senftleben
Succeeded byHans-Christoph Berndt
Leader of the Alternative for Germany in Brandenburg
In office
8 April 2017 – 15 May 2020
Preceded byAlexander Gauland
Succeeded byvacant
Leader of Alternative for Germany in the Landtag of Brandenburg
In office
7 November 2017 – 18 August 2020
Preceded byAlexander Gauland
Succeeded byHans-Christoph Berndt
Member of the Landtag of Brandenburg
Assumed office
8 October 2014
ConstituencyState Wide Party List
Personal details
Born
Andreas Edwin Kalbitz

(1972-11-17) 17 November 1972
Munich, Bavaria, West Germany
Political partyIndependent (2020–present)
Other political
affiliations		Alternative for Germany (2013–2020)
Children3
Alma materBrandenburg University of Applied Sciences (no degree)
Military service
Allegiance Germany
Branch/service Bundeswehr
Years of service1994–2005
Rank Oberfeldwebel
UnitArmy (Heer)

Life and politics

Kalbitz was born 1972 in Munich and became a paratrooper in the Bundeswehr, the German federal army from 1994 until 2005.[2] His claims that in 2008 he had studied Informatik (computer science) proved false in 2017.[3] Kalbitz was member of various extremist right-wing organisations before he entered the newly founded AfD in 2013.[1]

In May 2020 Kalbitz was removed as Brandenburg Landtag chairman by the party leadership after he was accused of concealing ties to far-right extremist groups. He was succeeded by provisional leader Dennis Hohloch.[4] Also in May, the AfD annulled the membership of Kalbitz, who in response vowed to "exhaust all legal options" to overrule the decision.[5] In an interview the same month, co-spokesman of the AfD Jörg Meuthen emphasized that the decision had been made on legal rather than political grounds.[6]

In August 2020, Kalbitz punched Hohloch while inside the Brandenburg parliament building, causing Hohloch to be admitted to hospital with internal injuries.[7][8]

References
  1. "Kalbitz gibt Teilnahme an rechtsextremem Lager zu". Süddeutsche Zeitung. 6 April 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  2. Gebauer, Matthias; Müller, Ann-Katrin (8 November 2019). "Kalbitz geriet als Soldat ins Visier des MAD". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  3. Lauterbach, Jürgen (30 September 2017). "Andreas Kalbitz schönt seinen Lebenslauf". MAZ - Märkische Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  4. "Punch throws Germany's AfD into uproar". Financial Times. 24 August 2020.
  5. "Germany's populist AfD party boots far-right leader Kalbitz". Deutsche Welle. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  6. May, Philipp (16 May 2020). ""Es ging um eine rechtliche, nicht um eine politische Beurteilung" (Interview with Jörg Meuthen)". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  7. Sternberg, Jan (17 August 2020). "AfD-Mann im Krankenhaus: Kalbitz verletzt Parteifreund mit Boxschlag zur Begrüßung" (in German). RND. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  8. Oltermann, Philip (18 August 2020). "Suspended AfD politician's 'friendly' punch put colleague in hospital". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
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