Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has officially classified the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a “proven right-wing extremist organization,” marking the most serious step yet in Berlin’s efforts to contain the rising political force.
The move, announced Friday by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), means that the AfD is no longer merely under suspicion. The agency says it now has definitive evidence that the party works against Germany’s democratic system.
A 1,000-page internal report, according to German public broadcaster ARD, underpins the decision, citing violations of core constitutional principles such as human dignity and the rule of law.
This is the first time in modern German history that the party with nationwide representation in parliament has been formally designated as extremist. Some state-level AfD branches — like those in the eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia — had already received that label.
The new classification doesn’t ban the party, but it allows German authorities to intensify surveillance, including the use of undercover informants and monitoring communications, under judicial oversight.
It also raises the political stakes as establishment parties will face growing pressure to rule out cooperation with the AfD at any level of government.
The decision could fuel calls for a formal party ban, though that would require approval from Germany’s top constitutional court and backing from the national government or parliament— an uphill legal and political battle.
The AfD did not immediately respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
This story has been updated.
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