Germany’s spy agency on Friday classified the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as “extremist,” a move that allows for increased monitoring of the country’s largest opposition party, which condemned the decision as a “blow against democracy.” A 1,100-page expert report concluded that the AfD is a racist and anti-Muslim organization, a designation that empowers security services to recruit informants and intercept party communications, and has reignited calls for the party to be banned.
“Central to our assessment is the ethnically and ancestrally defined concept of the people that shapes the AfD, which devalues entire segments of the population in Germany and violates their human dignity,” stated the BfV domestic intelligence agency. “This concept is reflected in the party’s overall anti-migrant and anti-Muslim stance,” the BfV added, accusing the AfD of inciting “irrational fears and hostility” towards individuals and groups. The BfV requires such a classification to monitor a political party due to stricter legal constraints compared to other European intelligence services, a consequence of Germany’s history under Nazi and Communist regimes. Other organizations in Germany classified as extremist include neo-Nazi groups like the National Democratic Party (NDP), Islamist groups such as Islamic State, and far-left groups like the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany. The agency was able to act after the AfD lost a court challenge last year against its prior classification by the BfV as a suspected extremist entity. This decision follows recent setbacks for the far-right across Europe as they aim to translate growing support into political power. These include a ban on France’s Marine Le Pen contesting the 2027 presidential election following her embezzlement conviction, and the postponement of Romania’s presidential vote after a far-right candidate won the first round. “VERY SERIOUS. After France and Romania, another theft of Democracy?” tweeted Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and leader of the far-right League party. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Germany to reverse its course on labeling the AfD as “extremist,” while US billionaire Elon Musk, who supported the party before February’s elections, cautioned against a ban. “Banning the centrist AfD, Germany’s most popular party, would be an extreme attack on democracy,” Musk posted on X. The AfD strongly criticized its designation as a politically motivated attempt to discredit and criminalize the party. “The AfD will continue to take legal action against these defamatory attacks that endanger democracy,” co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla said in a statement. Potential Ban? The German parliament could now explore limiting or halting public funding for the AfD. However, authorities would need concrete evidence that the party explicitly aims to undermine or overthrow German democracy to take such action. Meanwhile, civil servants who are members of an organization classified as “extremist” could face dismissal, depending on their role within the entity, according to Germany’s interior ministry. The “extremist” label could also hinder the AfD, which currently leads in several polls and is Germany’s most successful far-right party since World War Two, in attracting new members. The BfV’s decision comes days before conservative leader Friedrich Merz is set to be sworn in as Germany’s new chancellor and amidst intense debate within his party on how to engage with the AfD in the new Bundestag, or lower house of parliament. The AfD secured a record number of seats in the February national election, finishing second behind Merz’s conservatives, which theoretically would entitle it to chair several key parliamentary committees. A prominent ally of Merz, Jens Spahn, has advocated treating the AfD as a regular opposition party to prevent it from portraying itself as a “victim.” However, other established parties, and many conservatives, have rejected this approach and could use Friday’s news to justify blocking AfD attempts to lead committees. “Starting today, no one can make excuses anymore: This is not a democratic party,” declared Manuela Schwesig, premier of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and a senior member of the Social Democrats (SPD), who are about to form a government with the conservatives. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil told Bild newspaper that under the new government, authorities should review the possibility of banning the AfD. SPD’s outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a careful evaluation on Friday and cautioned against rushing to outlaw the party. Founded in 2013 to protest eurozone bailouts, the eurosceptic AfD shifted its focus to anti-migration following Germany’s decision to accept a large influx of refugees in 2015.
