Free Saxons
Freie Sachsen
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| Abbreviation | FS |
| Leader | Martin Kohlmann |
| Membership (2023) | 1,200 |
| Ideology | Regionalism Separatism Saxon-monarchism |
| Political position | Right-wingtoFar-right |
| Website | |
| https://freie-sachsen.info/ | |
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Freie Sachsen (Free Saxons) is a secessionist and autonomist movement within the German stateofSaxony, which seeks to restore the former Saxon Royal Family and "Saexit if Necessary" [1] It views itself as a Right-wing monarchist group.[2][3]
The inaugural meeting of "Free Saxony" in the Bermsgrün guest house was an occasion to question the use of the municipal building.[4] The small party “Freie Sachsen” [5] played a key role in mobilizing for the protests against pandemic measures in Saxony.[6] The organization seeks to extend its influence from the streets to town halls and possibly also to the state parliament.[6]
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[7] inBermsgrün, 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.[8] 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.[9] 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][10]
The State Office for the Protection of the Constitution of Saxony classified the alliance as right-wing extremists in June 2021.[8] Since January 2022, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the Free Saxons as a suspected case and observed them nationwide.[11]
After 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".[12][13][14] Members of the party have took part in anti-interventionist protests along side other members of the Alternative For Germany and The Left party, in which they showed nostalgia for a independent eastern Germany.[3][15][16]
With a membership of 1,200 people the party excepts cross-party membership only as long as there is a basic commitment to the party's principals, with some of its members being apart of other German political party's, including and not limited to The Republicans, Alternative for Germany, pro-Chemnitz, Free Voters and The Homeland(NPD). The Free Saxons see themselves as an umbrella organization.[17]
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