BERLIN (AP) — The German domestic intelligence service said Friday it has classified the Alternative for Germany party, which placed second in national elections in February, as a “right-wing extremist effort” — making it subject to greater and broader surveillance of its activities.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution cited the “extremist character” of the party, known as AfD, and said it “disregards human dignity” — in particular by taking aim at those who moved to Germany from mostly Muslim countries.
The party criticized the move, with deputy chairman Stephan Brandner saying that it “is complete nonsense, has absolutely nothing to do with law and order, and is purely political in the fight of the cartel parties against the AfD.”
The AfD has already been under enhanced surveillance by authorities in some regions, but the announcement by the domestic spy agency means the agency’s officials can use informants and other tools such as audio and video recordings to monitor the party’s activities nationwide.
The office, which has warned of growing extremism in Germany, cited court decisions in two German regions in recent years that detailed party efforts to undermine a free and democratic order.
The party “aims to exclude certain population groups from equal participation in society, to subject them to unconstitutional unequal treatment and thus to assign them a legally devalued status,” the agency, known as BfV, said.
The party had already come under scrutiny from the BfV for its links to extremists and its ties to Russia. Of the 38,800 far-right extremists counted by the agency last year, more than 10,000 are members of the party.
“The ethnic and descent-based understanding of the people prevailing within the party is incompatible with the free democratic basic order,” the intelligence service said, adding that the party’s political positions have underpinned “continuous agitation” against minorities and stirred fear and hostility toward them.
“This is evident in the numerous xenophobic, anti-minority, anti-Islamic, and anti-Muslim statements continually made by leading party officials,” it said.
Nancy Faeser, the interior minister, said in a statement that the classification was “clear and unambiguous” and had resulted from a 1,100-page “comprehensive and neutral audit” that had no political influence.
Under the move, any surveillance of AfD activities must abide by a “principle of proportionality” under German law.
The measure does not amount to a ban of the party, which can only take place through a request by either of parliament’s two chambers or the federal government through the Federal Constitutional Court.
Asked whether the party would appeal the decision, Brandner said the executive board is holding a scheduled meeting next Monday and is expected to discuss it then.
