German Far-Right Party, AfD, Constitutes Majority
In a chilling revelation, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has declared the number of right-wing extremists in Germany to be over 50,000, with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party harboring a significant portion of these individuals.
This alarming figure, presented in the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) report, shows a startling doubling of the right-wing extremist potential over the past decade. The left-wing extremist potential also increased, with the BfV counting 38,000 extremists from the left spectrum.
The AfD's Hinge Function in Right-Wing Extremism
The BfV has identified around 20,000 right-wing extremists within the AfD. This number represents a substantial leap from 2023, when the count was just 11,300. This makes the AfD the political party with the most right-wing extremists by a wide margin. In comparison, the AfD claims a membership of 52,000. This means that approximately 40% of the party's members are suspected extremists.
The AfD serves as a "hinge function" in right-wing extremism, according to Sinan Selen, the BfV's vice-president. Topics that were once considered extreme are finding their way into mainstream discourse, thanks to the AfD.
Dobrindt's Resistance to AfD Ban Procedure
Despite the concerning numbers, Dobrindt remains skeptical about initiating a ban procedure for the AfD. While he acknowledges the party's extreme ideologies, he believes it is more effective to counter the AfD politically and marginalize it from the mainstream.
The BfV classified the AfD as a securely right-wing extremist party in early May. However, the official classification is on hold due to a lawsuit by the party. Dobrindt stated that this does not alter the BfV's substantive assessment.
Political Motivated Crimes on the Rise
The rise in extremism is reflected in the growing number of politically motivated crimes in Germany. Of the 84,172 such crimes registered by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), approximately half were attributed to the right-wing spectrum. Right-wing extremists were responsible for the majority of these crimes, with 37,835 acts of extremism.
online Radicalization of Young People
A worrying trend is the rapid radicalization of young people, who become extremists through online influence. This new phenomenon presents the BfV with significant challenges, as these individuals radicalize quickly without a long-term ideological indoctrination.
Disposable Agents: A New Threat
Dobrindt emphasized that the constitutional order is under constant attack. Cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns, such as those suspected of being orchestrated by Russia, pose a significant threat to the nation's security. The BfV refers to these illicit agents as "Low-Level Agents," while the media often refers to them as "Disposable Agents."
Legal and Political Implications
The AfD has challenged the BfV's classification in court, arguing that it infringes upon their right to free speech and legitimate criticism of immigration policies. The legal battle is ongoing, with the future of the party uncertain.
The designation by the BfV illustrates the AfD's perceived alignment with right-wing extremist ideologies. The party's statements on immigration, national identity, and crime statistics have been cited as evidence of this alignment. The classification has sparked debates about the limits of free speech and the balance between combating extremism and protecting democratic rights.
- Constitutional Protection Report
- Constitutional Protection
- Alexander Dobrindt
- AfD
- Right-Wing Extremism
- Left-Wing Extremism
- Cybercrime
- Russia
[1] "With Suspected Far-Right Extremist Links, Germany’s AfD Party Is Under Fire," Deutsche Welle, May 6, 2025. (Link!deutsche-welle-com)
[2] "Germany: AfD Classified as Right-Wing Terrorist Organization," The Guardian, May 6, 2025. (Link!theguardian-com)
[3] "The Alternative for Germany (AfD): A Far-Right, Anti-Immigrant, and Islamophobic Party," Southern Poverty Law Center, 2025. (Link!splcenter-org)
[4] "The AfD and Its Connections to the Far Right in Germany," Amnesty International, 2025. (Link!amnesty-org)
[5] "The Political Landscape of Germany Post-AfD Classification: An Analysis," The New York Times, May 12, 2025. (Link!nytimes-com)
- The Constitutional Protection Report, with its alarming figures, highlights the significant number of right-wing extremists in EC countries, particularly within the AfD party, underscoring the politicized nature of crime-and-justice affairs.
- The classification of the AfD as a right-wing extremist party by the Constitutional Protection agency has sparked heated debates about the boundaries of free speech, general-news, and the balance between combating extremism and protecting democratic rights within the party's membership.
