Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has officially designated the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a far-right extremist organization, raising concerns over its stance, which the agency says is incompatible with the country’s democratic order.
“The party’s understanding of ‘the people,’ based on ethnic affiliation and origin, is not compatible with the free and democratic order,” reads the BfV statement announcing the decision, which follows extensive analysis of the party’s positions and activities.
According to senior officials at the agency, the party’s rhetoric and that of its leaders “violate the constitutional principle of the inviolability of human dignity,” emphasized Deputy Presidents Sinan Selen and Silke Willems.
AfD, founded in 2013 as an anti-eurozone party and later rebranded with a strong anti-immigration stance, finished second in Germany’s most recent parliamentary elections this year, marking a notable rise in popularity.
Previously classified as a “suspected” extremist group, the party will now be subject to stricter surveillance by Germany’s intelligence services following this formal classification.
AfD challenged this designation in court but failed to overturn the BfV’s decision.
