German counterintelligence declares the AfD a right-wing extremist party
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's civilian counterintelligence agency, has officially classified Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a party with demonstrably right-wing extremist aspirations. The office justified the change in its assessment in a statement on 2 May by saying its suspicions that the party was taking steps against the free and democratic order of the country had been confirmed.
The AfD, which the counterintelligence agency had previously considered a suspect in far-right activities, became the second-largest political force in the Bundestag after the February snap elections. “The BfV came to this conclusion after an intensive and thorough expert examination,” the counterintelligence agency said of the change in assessment.
The BfV referred, among other things, to the decisions of the administrative courts in North Rhine-Westphalia, which have repeatedly confirmed that the BfV can list the entire AfD as a suspect of far-right activities due to indications that the party’s efforts are directed against the democratic order. “These indications were confirmed during further processing of the investigation and became certain with regard to essential aspects,” the counterintelligence agency added.
“The AfD represents an ethnic concept that discriminates against entire population groups and treats citizens of migrant origin as second-class Germans,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement, according to Reuters. She added that the AfD’s ethnic stance is reflected in racist statements, especially against immigrants and Muslims.
Former secret service chief Thomas Haldenwang announced at a public hearing in the Bundestag last October that counterintelligence would present a new assessment of the AfD by the end of the year. However, the BfV has only presented it now.
The AfD, which other parliamentary parties describe as populist and even far-right, is particularly popular in eastern Germany. In Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, the state-level counterintelligence agencies report it as a party with demonstrably extremist aspirations, while in several other regions it is suspected of far-right activities.
Due to its controversial positions on Germany’s Nazi past and strongly-worded views on migration, minorities, and Muslims, some federal lawmakers want the Constitutional Court to ban the AfD party. Various activist organizations are also calling for a similar step which, according to the media, has little chance of success.
