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Andreas Kalbitz | |
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.jpg) Kalbitz in 2016 | |
| Leader of the Opposition in theLandtag of Brandenburg | |
| In office 25 September 2019 – 18 August 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Ingo Senftleben |
| Succeeded by | Hans-Christoph Berndt |
| Leader of theAlternative for Germany inBrandenburg | |
| In office 8 April 2017 – 15 May 2020 (Until July 2020 beside suspended membership) | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Gauland |
| Succeeded by | Birgit Bessin |
| Leader ofAlternative for Germany in theLandtag of Brandenburg | |
| In office 7 November 2017 – 15 May 2020 (Until 18 August 2020 beside suspended membership) | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Gauland |
| Succeeded by | Vacant until 27 October 2020 Hans-Christoph Berndt |
| Member of theLandtag of Brandenburg | |
| Assumed office 8 October 2014 | |
| Constituency | State Wide Party List |
| Leader ofDer Flügel | |
| In office 1 March 2015 – 15 May 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Office wasn't established |
| Succeeded by | Björn Höcke |
| Spokesperson ofDer Flügel | |
| In office 1 March 2015 – 15 May 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Office wasn't established |
| Succeeded by | Björn Höcke |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Andreas Edwin Kalbitz (1972-11-17)17 November 1972 (age 53) |
| Political party | Independent (since 2020) |
| Other political affiliations | Alternative for Germany (2013–2020) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences (no degree) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Germany |
| Branch/service |  Bundeswehr |
| Years of service | 1994–2005 |
| Rank |  Oberfeldwebel |
| Unit |  Army (Heer) |
Andreas Kalbitz (born 17 November 1972) is a German politician and former member of theAlternative for Germany (AfD) party. He was a member of the party from 2013 until his expulsion in 2020. From 2017 to 2020, he served as chairman of theAfD Brandenburg faction of the party in theLandtag of Brandenburg, a state parliament.[1]
Kalbitz was born 1972 inMunich and became a paratrooper in theBundeswehr, the German federal army from 1994 until 2005.[2] His claims that in 2008 he had studiedInformatik (computer science) proved false in 2017.[3]Kalbitz was a member of variousextremist right-wing organisations before he entered the newly founded AfD in 2013.[1] One of those extremist right-wing organisations, a banned neo-Nazi group called German Youths Loyal to the Fatherland, became the reason he was expelled from the party as he allegedly declined to notify the party while joining in 2013.[4]
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 leaderDennis Hohloch.[5] Also in May, the AfD annulled the membership of Kalbitz, who in response vowed to "exhaust all legal options" to overrule the decision.[6] In an interview the same month, co-spokesman of the AfDJörg Meuthen emphasized that the decision had been made on legal rather than political grounds.[7]
In August 2020, Kalbitz punched Hohloch while inside the Brandenburg parliament building, causing Hohloch to be admitted to hospital with internal injuries.[8][9]
He has participated inPegida rallies in the early 2020s alongsideBjörn Höcke among others, both before and after he was expelled from the AfD.[10][11]
