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3w ago

Germany's Intelligence Agency Labels AfD as Extremist, Sparking Debate Over Potential Ban

The classification enables surveillance of the AfD and intensifies political divisions over whether to pursue a legal ban that could impact millions of voters.

BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 07: Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party, arrives to speak to the media with AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla shortly after the AfD leadership confirmed Weidel as the party's candidate for chancellor on December 07, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Germany is scheduled to hold snap parliamentary elections on February 23 following the recent collapse of the federal thee-party coalition government. The AfD is currently in second place in polls at about 18% behind the German Christian Democrats (CDU). (Photo by Maryam Majd/Getty Images)
U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, attends a confirmation hearing of retired U.S. Lt. Gen. John Daniel Caine, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 1, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
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Overview

  • Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, has officially classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a 'proven right-wing extremist organisation,' enabling expanded surveillance powers against the party.
  • The classification has led to calls from multiple political parties, including SPD, Greens, Left, and CDU, to initiate a parliamentary vote to begin the process of banning the AfD, pending a Federal Constitutional Court decision.
  • AfD leaders, including co-leader Alice Weidel, have condemned the move as undemocratic, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticized it as 'tyranny in disguise.'
  • The BfV has compiled a classified 1,100-page report alleging extremist activities by the AfD, but its secrecy has raised concerns about transparency and due process.
  • The incoming coalition government remains divided on whether to act on the BfV's findings, citing risks of political backlash and the uncertain outcome of any legal proceedings.