Germany's domestic intelligence agency has officially classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a "confirmed right-wing extremist organization," Der Spiegel reported on May 2.
Until now, only AfD's regional branches in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt held that status, while the national party had been under observation as a suspected extremist group.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution finalized the designation after compiling a report exceeding 1,100 pages, which outlined extensive evidence of extremist activity within the party.
The new classification does not ban the party but grants security services greater powers to monitor it through intelligence methods. These include wiretapping communications, recruiting informants, and tracking finances more aggressively.
AfD has long campaigned on opposition to immigration and criticism of European integration, while consistently advocating rapprochement with Russia.
The party opposes military aid to Ukraine, calls for lifting sanctions against Moscow, and has repeatedly urged the resumption of trade relations.
Concerns over the AfD's ties to authoritarian regimes deepened after multiple senior members came under investigation for suspected collusion with Moscow and Beijing.
Co-leaders Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel both traveled to Russia in recent years, and in May 2023, Chrupalla and party founder Alexander Gauland attended a reception at the Russian Embassy in Berlin celebrating Russia's Victory Day.
The AfD's stance aligns with that of Germany's left-wing populist BSW party in calling for peace talks over military support to Ukraine. Lawmakers from both parties walked out of the Bundestag during President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech in June 2024.
After U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House, the AfD secured a key ally in Washington.
Billionaire Elon Musk, one of Trump's top supporters, publicly endorsed the party, calling it Germany's "last spark of hope" despite longstanding accusations of Nazi sympathies among its ranks.
In the most recent German federal elections, the AfD captured 20.8% of the vote, consolidating support in parts of the former East Germany where the party has long had a foothold.
Kate Tsurkan
(Updated: )
