The German domestic intelligence service said on Friday that it had classified the Alternative for Germany party, which placed second in national elections In February, as “right -wing extremist effort” – having him submitted to greater and broader surveillance of his activities.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution cited the “extremist character” of the party, known as AFDAnd said that he “does not take into account human dignity” – in particular by strongly taking those who have moved Germany mainly Muslim countries.
The party criticized this decision, with vice-president Stephan Brandner by saying that he “is a complete nonsense, has absolutely nothing to do with law and order and is purely political in the fight of the cartel against AFD.”
AFD has already undergone increased monitoring by the authorities in certain regions, but the announcement of the domestic spy agency means that agency officials can use informants and other tools such as audio and video recordings to monitor party activities nationally.
The office, which has warned against growing extremism in Germany, cited legal decisions in two German regions in recent years which detailed the party’s efforts to undermine a free and democratic order.
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The party “aims to exclude certain population groups from the same participation in society, to subject them to an unconstitutional unequal treatment and to attribute a legally devalued status to them,” said the agency, known as the BFV.
The party had already been examined from the BFV for its links with extremists and its links with Russia. Of the 38,800 extremists of the far right counted by the agency last year, more than 10,000 are members of the party.
“Ethnic understanding and based on the origin of people prevailing within the party is incompatible with the free democratic basis,” said the intelligence service, adding that the party’s political positions have underpinned “continuous agitation” against minorities and aroused fear and hostility towards them.
“This is obvious in the many xenophobic, anti-minority, anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim statements made by the main party officials,” he said.
Nancy Faeser, the Minister of the Interior, said in a statement that the classification was “clear and unambiguous” and had resulted from a “complete and neutral audit” of 1,100 pages which had no political influence.
Under this decision, any monitoring of AFD activities must respect a “principle of proportionality” under German law.
The measure does not constitute a ban on the party, which can only take place by the request of the two chambers of Parliament or the federal government through the Federal Constitutional Court.
When asked if the party would appeal the decision, Brandner said that the board of directors organized a meeting next Monday and should discuss it.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press