Germany: counterintelligence considers AfD to be an extremist organization

On 2 May, the national Constitutional Protection Office (BfV) classified the AfD as an utmost right-wing extremist group after 4 years of verification. The message points to the dominant organization "ethnic knowing of a nation that is incompatible with the democratic order based on the principles of freedom". Officials point out that "she is seeking to exclude certain groups of the population from equal participation in and discrimination against society." BfV argues that it does not recognise, for example, the citizens of the German national Republic from Muslim countries as equivalent members of the ethnically defined German nation AfD. The service claims that this leads to agitation against certain individuals or groups that are thus depreciated, and besides creates irrational fears and dislikes towards them.

Counterintelligence uses a three-step scale of verification of the extremism of entities: verification, suspicion and designation of an organisation as ‘extremistly’. The highest degree extends the anticipation of operational measures (including eavesdropping, reading correspondence and utilizing secret informants).

The group announced an appeal against the BfV decision to the court, indicating its political nature. It was supported by representatives of the United States administration, including vice president J. D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The U.S. diplomatic chief said that “Germany has granted its intelligence agency fresh powers to monitor the opposition. This is not democracy — this is camouflaged tyranny.” The national Ministry of abroad Affairs rejected this allegation and pointed to the democratic process and "to learn from our past that right-wing extremism must be stopped".

The unprecedented decision of the BfV is the final phase in the process of recognising the AfD as an extremist organization since February 2021. It will strengthen the strategism towards her and intensify the debate on the possible prohibition of her activities. For most of the group's sympathizers, the decision will prove the oppressive action of the establishment against it and will grow its supporters.

Comment

• The designation of AfD as an extremist force has no precedent in the past of Germany. So far, specified an assessment has never met the largest opposition party, enjoying the highest rankings in the polls. In the past, he classified as an extremist BfV, among others, with only regional support from the neo-Nazi NPD and individual politicians, among others Die Linke. Previously, he besides considered the regional structures of AfD in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia and the youth group (Junge Alternative, dissolved in March).
• The counterintelligence decision will intensify the debate on the prohibition of AfD activities. 48% of Germans (37% argue it; survey of the INSA centre of 4 May), but most leading politicians of the CDU/CSU–SPD coalition stay skeptical of specified steps. This is due to the belief that they could mobilise voters who would view AfD as a victim of the collusion of another political parties, which would have the other effect. Prohibiting activities could besides induce group members to engage outside the public sphere and hinder BfV from further infiltration of this environment. In fresh years, efforts have been made twice to delegate the openly neo-Nazi NPD, but without success. Only the Bundestag, Bundesrat or the national Government may decide to initiate specified proceedings, and the last effort in relation to the AfD in January this year did not get a majority in the Bundestag.
• The direct effect of counterintelligence opinion will be to exacerbate the ostracism of AfD on the German political scene and de facto exclude representatives of this organization (e.g. committee presidents or vice-president of Parliament) from selectable Bundestags. The consequences may besides be affected by individual members of the group who are in public service (e.g. as police officers or teachers). The Land authorities announced that they could be removed from their posts. It is besides likely that the public backing of the parties will be limited. In January, akin proceedings with the NPD were successful. Following the decision of the BfV, the deficiency of funds besides threatens the political foundation of AfD – the Erasmus Foundation, headed by Erika Steinbach.
• Despite a number of AfD measures, counter-intelligence could not be avoided. Already in 2018, the organization set up a working group on the fight against possible surveillance by BfV. Its main task is to challenge the decisions of the German services, but the courts twice acknowledged the institution's right and allowed further degrees of reflection (judgment of the Cologne Administrative Court of March 2022 and the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia May 2024). Moreover, the AfD established a language code to limit the usage of statements considered by counterintelligence to be incompatible with the basic law. She besides led a campaign, among others, in social media, challenging the activities of this institution as politically motivated.
• BfV is overly criticized for not publishing about 1100-page study as the basis for the AfD evaluation. Officials point to the request to defend sources and say it is simply a standard procedure in akin cases. The fresh cabinet under Friedrich Merz will decide whether to declassified any of the files. It is besides opposed erstwhile the counterintelligence minister Nancy Faeser announced the result of the proceedings – a fewer days before the change of government. According to media information, the study was ready for a fewer months, but its publication was delayed due to the accelerated elections to the Bundestag – to avoid reasoning about politicising the decision. The controversy will intensify the debate on the request to increase judicial and parliamentary control (and not just government) over BfV activities.