Germany's domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD party, Alternative for Deutschland, as a "proven right-wing extremist organization." In the 2025 national elections in Germany, the AfD increased its support by double, with 20.8%, and is the second largest political force in Germany's Parliament.
Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla blasted the designation as "a serious blow to German democracy" and questioned the timing of the report's release, reports Politico. "Current polls show the AfD as the strongest force," said Weidel and Chrupalla. "The federal government only has four days left in office. The intelligence service doesn't even have a president. And the classification as a 'suspected case' hasn't been finalized in court."
The recent elections in Germany saw SPD, the party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with the worst performance in years. They only earned 16.4% of the vote. The AfD took much of the eastern part of the nation and made inroads in the west as well. Until 1989, East and West Germany were divided, with a wall running down the center of Berlin.
Scholz warned against an outright ban on the AfD, saying "I believe this is not something that should be done hastily," going on to say that he was "against a knee-jerk reaction." As far as his personal views on the AfD, he said, "It weighs on me—as a citizen, as chancellor, and as a member of the German Bundestag." He encouraged people to read the report.
Never before in modern German history has a political party with parliamentary representation at the national level been designated in this fashion. While the party will not be banned as a result, authorities will increase their surveillance of the group's activities.
Berlin has attempted to contain the party and this move at classification is seen as the latest attempt to do so. In the 1,000-page internal report, the intelligence agency says that the party works in opposition to Germany's democratic system of government.
The report cites "violations of core constitutional principles such as human dignity and the rule of law." Increased surveillance will include undercover informants and monitoring of communication activities.
"Just days before a change of government," said Weidel and Chrupalla, "the AfD is being publicly discredited and criminalized." They said the classification had been done with political motivations. "The AfD will continue to legally defend itself against these defamatory attacks that endanger democracy," they continued.
Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla blasted the designation as "a serious blow to German democracy" and questioned the timing of the report's release, reports Politico. "Current polls show the AfD as the strongest force," said Weidel and Chrupalla. "The federal government only has four days left in office. The intelligence service doesn't even have a president. And the classification as a 'suspected case' hasn't been finalized in court."
The recent elections in Germany saw SPD, the party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with the worst performance in years. They only earned 16.4% of the vote. The AfD took much of the eastern part of the nation and made inroads in the west as well. Until 1989, East and West Germany were divided, with a wall running down the center of Berlin.
Scholz warned against an outright ban on the AfD, saying "I believe this is not something that should be done hastily," going on to say that he was "against a knee-jerk reaction." As far as his personal views on the AfD, he said, "It weighs on me—as a citizen, as chancellor, and as a member of the German Bundestag." He encouraged people to read the report.
Never before in modern German history has a political party with parliamentary representation at the national level been designated in this fashion. While the party will not be banned as a result, authorities will increase their surveillance of the group's activities.
Berlin has attempted to contain the party and this move at classification is seen as the latest attempt to do so. In the 1,000-page internal report, the intelligence agency says that the party works in opposition to Germany's democratic system of government.
The report cites "violations of core constitutional principles such as human dignity and the rule of law." Increased surveillance will include undercover informants and monitoring of communication activities.
"Just days before a change of government," said Weidel and Chrupalla, "the AfD is being publicly discredited and criminalized." They said the classification had been done with political motivations. "The AfD will continue to legally defend itself against these defamatory attacks that endanger democracy," they continued.
