Germany's domestic intelligence agency has halted its public labeling of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as "extremist," following legal action from the party and mounting pressure from the Trump administration.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) recently classified AfD—a nationalist, anti-immigrant party—as a confirmed extremist group. The designation, based on a confidential 1,100-page report, enabled the agency to use expanded surveillance tools against the party, including informants and communications monitoring.
The AfD has contested this classification in court, arguing it is politically motivated, according to Reuters. On May 8, a court in Cologne announced that the BfV would suspend its public use of the "extremist" label pending a ruling on the AfD's request for an injunction.
The move followed backlash from the AfD and vocal opposition from the Trump administration. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the classification as "tyranny in disguise," and Sen. Tom Cotton called for a freeze on intelligence sharing with Germany until the AfD is treated as a legitimate opposition party.
While the BfV has not retracted its assessment of the AfD, the court's announcement means surveillance measures associated with the extremist designation will also be temporarily paused. AfD leaders Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel praised the decision as a step toward clearing the party's name.
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