The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has recognized the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist organization that threatens democracy.
Points of attention
- The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in Germany has recognized the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist organization, posing a threat to democracy.
- The BfV's decision allows for increased surveillance of the AfD and the use of special control tools, such as recruiting confidential informants and intercepting communications.
- The AfD's anti-Muslim and racist ideology violates human rights and dignity, leading to the agency's classification of the party as a racist and anti-Muslim force.
The AfD party of "Putin's friends" has been recognized as an extremist organization in Germany
The decision allows the agency to increase surveillance of the party, which came in second place in the federal election in February.
The BfV's conclusion, based on a 1,100-page expert report, classifies the AfD as a racist and anti-Muslim force. Intelligence agencies can now use tools such as recruiting confidential informants and intercepting communications to monitor the party.
This stigma can make it difficult for parties to attract new members and jeopardize public funding.
The AfD, which is currently leading in a number of polls, has strongly condemned the decision, while political analysts warn that it could further strengthen the party's support.
The assessment focuses on the ethnic and tribal understanding of the people that shapes the AfD's ideology. It demeans entire groups in Germany's population and violates their human dignity, the agency said in a statement.
This concept is reflected in the party's overall anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim stance.
The agency added that the AfD "lied and defamed" individuals and entire groups, fueling "irrational fears and hostility towards them."
The intelligence decision came just days before the swearing-in of Germany's new chancellor, conservative leader Friedrich Merz, and coincided with a heated debate within his party about how to deal with the AfD in the new parliament.
The party achieved a record number of seats, which theoretically gives it the right to head several key parliamentary committees.
It is possible that parliament will try to limit or completely stop state funding for the AfD. However, to do so, the authorities would need to prove that the party is deliberately seeking to undermine or overthrow Germany's democratic system.
Some AfD units, such as the youth wing, have already been deemed extremist. The entire party was classified as a "probable extremist case" back in 2021.
Founded in 2013 as a protest against anti-crisis measures in the eurozone, the AfD later transformed into an anti-immigration party after Germany took in a large number of refugees in 2015.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is known for its pro-Russian stance and sympathy for Putin. The AfD has consistently opposed anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the EU. In 2022 and 2023, party leaders, including Alice Weidel, repeatedly stated that the sanctions "do more harm to the German economy than to Russia." In the Bundestag, the AfD voted against proposals to tighten sanctions.
