Ursula Simon, a 59-year-old judicial officer at the District Court of Siegen (North-Rhine-Westphalia), has come under public scrutiny for her role as a local AfD official. Simon has served in the German justice system since 1993 without any formal complaints or accusations of bias.
The controversy began when Daniel Nierenz, a Siegen-based lawyer and chairman of the local bar association, published blog posts questioning whether her political role is compatible with the neutrality expected of civil servants.
Local media echoed the concern, speculating about potential conflicts of interest in politically sensitive or migration-related cases.
However, the Siegen District Court has officially confirmed that there are no complaints on record that would call Simon’s neutrality into question. Simon herself emphasized that she has always maintained a clear boundary between her professional responsibilities and her political involvement.
She pointed out that civil servants in Germany are permitted to engage in political activity, provided they uphold their constitutional obligations of loyalty and neutrality. Moreover, her party affirms its commitment to the free and democratic constitutional order.
This is not the first instance of scrutiny faced by AfD-affiliated civil officials. In July, the Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Ministry sparked nationwide controversy by announcing that AfD members would no longer be eligible for civil service positions.
