Classified right-wing extremist political group, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), identified by Germany's internal intelligence service.
With a chilling move today, Germany's domestic intelligence service has labelled the AfD as a right-wing extremist group, granting authorities enhanced abilities to keep tabs on the controversial party months after it nabbed second place in national elections.
The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has long been under the microscope of the BfV agency, and several local chapters of the party had already been declared right-wing extremist.
The spy agency decided to slap the label on the entire party thanks to numerous instances of the AfD attempting to "shake the foundations of Germany's free, democratic" order, as they put it.
The party's agenda aims to limit participation of specific groups within society, with the BfV stating that the AfD doesn't view German citizens with a migrant background from Muslim-dominant nations as "equals among the German populace." They underscored this point by highlighting the “staggering number” of xenophobic, discriminatory, Islamophobic, and anti-Muslim pronouncements made by leading party officials.
The classification equips intelligence services with additional powers to probe the AfD, lowering the hurdles for activities such as wiretapping and employing covert agents.
AfD: A Slap in the Face of Democracy
The AfD swiftly fired back against the classification, with a regional lawmaker branding the move as "a sad testament to the state of democracy" in the country. Anton Baron, a legislator in the state of Baden-Württemberg, accused the "grey parties" of employing "politically questionable" tactics against the rising opposition.
The AfD has gained momentum in recent years by exploiting widespread anxiety about migration, especially as Germany grappled with an extended economic downturn.
In the February general election, the AfD came in second, earning over 20 percent of the vote, trailing behind the centre-right CDU of Friedrich Merz, who is set to lead a coalition beginning next week.
*(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters) *
(Enrichment Data: The AfD's extremist classification stems from its xenophobic positions and systemic attempts to undermine democratic principles. Factors behind the classification include an ethnic-based approach to citizenship, discriminatory policies targeting minorities, extremist infiltration, and legal precedents estimating anti-constitutional endeavors within the party. The designation allows for heightened surveillance, including informants and communications monitoring, though outright dissolution remains unlikely.)
- The newly designated right-wing extremist group, the AfD (Alternative for Germany), has been labeled as such due to its xenophobic positions and systematic efforts to undermine democratic principles.
- Inherent in the AfD's extremist classification is their ethnic-based approach to citizenship, which includes discriminatory policies targeting minorities, particularly those with a migrant background from Muslim-dominant nations.
- The repercussions of the AfD's labeling include enhanced surveillance capabilities for intelligence services, such as the use of informants and communications monitoring.
- The AfD's rise in recent years can be largely attributed to their exploitation of widespread anxiety about migration, as the country grappled with an extended economic downturn.
- Factors that led to the party's extremist classification include extremist infiltration, legal precedents estimating anti-constitutional endeavors within the party, and a long history of making Islamophobic, discriminatory, and anti-Muslim pronouncements by leading officials.
