Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has officially classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a “right-wing extremist effort,” a designation that enables broader surveillance powers, including the use of informants and audio-visual monitoring nationwide.
This historic move follows years of scrutiny over AfD’s rhetoric and connections to far-right groups. The BfV report highlights the party’s persistent attacks on human dignity, particularly through its stance against migrants from predominantly Muslim countries. The agency concluded that AfD’s platform undermines Germany’s democratic order by promoting exclusion, inequality, and fear.
“The party aims to deny equal participation to certain population groups and promote unconstitutional discrimination,” the BfV stated. It further noted that AfD leaders have continuously spread xenophobic and anti-Muslim narratives, contributing to a rise in societal hostility toward minorities.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized that the decision was the result of a detailed, impartial 1,100-page audit, free from political interference. The AfD, which came second in recent national polls, rejected the classification as a politically motivated attack. Party leaders plan to discuss potential legal action in an upcoming executive meeting.
Despite this designation, AfD remains a legal political entity unless formally banned by Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court—a step that requires parliamentary or federal government initiative.