Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), on Friday, designated the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an "extremist endeavor" due to its opposition to the open border immigration policies pushed by the German globalist elites.
The BfV cited the party’s “ethnicity- and ancestry-based conception of the people,” which it claimed devalues segments of the population and violates human dignity, as well as its anti-immigrant stance and connections to extremist actors.
This designation by the BfV is a first for a major political party with nationwide representation in modern German history.
This reclassification by BfV lowers the hurdles for the spy agency to conduct certain kinds of surveillance on the AfD, including the use of informants and video and audio recordings.
The decision by the BfV is expected to be challenged in the courts, and while it does not automatically lead to a ban, it could encourage others to start the process.
The AfD, which denies extremist labels and claims its platform reflects mainstream German views, called the designation a “blow against democracy.
The populist party which came second in the February elections and holds 20.8% of the vote, has drawn the ire of far-left politicians and the globalist establishment in Germnany and Brussels.
Influx of migrants from Africa and the middle east have caused social, economic and security problems in Germany. And authorities have faced criticisms for its fascistic suppression of freedom of expression by harassing and arresting citizens for their social media posts, in night raids by police.
The AfD is popular among young German voters and is the largest party in eastern Germany. It has attracted the support of populists across Europe and in the United States, including figures like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has publicly endorsed the party.
Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned against rushing into a decision, while other politicians, like Heidi Reichinnek of the Left Party, argue that no one can accept that a 'proven right-wing extremist' party is fighting and destroying democracy from within.
The AfD's designation as an extremist organization could complicate the formation of the new government, as incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to exclude the AfD.
The BfV decision sparked a sharp diplomatic spat with the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the move on X, calling it “tyranny in disguise” and arguing that it grants Germany’s “spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition.” He claimed the “truly extremist” issue was not the AfD but Germany’s “deadly open border immigration policies” that the AfD opposes, urging Germany to “reverse course.”
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance echoed Rubio, also on X, stating that the AfD is “the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany,” accusing the German establishment of “rebuilding the Berlin Wall” to suppress the populist party.
Vance, who met AfD co-leader Alice Weidel in Munich in February and expressed support for the party, called the designation an attack on democracy.
Germany’s Foreign Office responded directly to Rubio on X, defending the decision as democratic and based on a “thorough and independent investigation.” It emphasized Germany’s historical lessons, stating, “We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped.”
