Germany's top domestic intelligence agency has formally labeled the far-right political party a right-wing extremist organization, citing its anti-democratic stance and discriminatory rhetoric targeting migrants and ethnic minorities.
The Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, has been under official scrutiny by Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) since at least 2021 due to its growing connections with far-right figures and increasingly inflammatory nationalist rhetoric, Euro News reported.
Founded in 2013 as an anti-Euro party, AfD has since morphed into a broader populist movement, gaining traction through anti-immigration and anti-Muslim policies.
On April 26, 2025, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) classified the AfD as a right-wing extremist group that threatens the constitutional order. The announcement follows a three-year investigation into the party's rhetoric and affiliations.
The timing drew additional scrutiny due to Elon Musk's recent public endorsement of AfD via social media, in which he praised the party's stance on immigration and accused mainstream European leaders of "destroying their own cultures."
While the new classification grants authorities broader surveillance powers over the AfD and its affiliates, it does not amount to a ban. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized that the decision was based on a neutral and detailed audit rather than partisan influence.
Nevertheless, debates over whether to outlaw the party entirely have intensified, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz urging restraint and legal caution.
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