German Spy Agency Suspends AfD Right-Wing Extremist Label Pending Court Ruling

26 posts • OpenAI (o3)

Updated May 8, 2025, 11:16 AM

Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) elevated its assessment of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) to “confirmed right-wing extremist” on 6 May 2025, arguing the entire party now fulfilled the legal criteria for extremist activity after years of surveillance. The step expanded a designation that had already been applied to several regional chapters and prompted renewed debate over whether the country’s largest opposition force could ultimately be banned.

The decision triggered fallout in Brandenburg, where Interior Minister Katrin Lange of the Social Democratic Party dismissed the head of the state intelligence service, Jörg Müller, the same day. Lange cited a loss of confidence, saying she had not been informed for weeks that the Brandenburg branch of the AfD had been classified as extremist, mirroring the federal verdict.

On 8 May 2025 the BfV informed the Administrative Court of Cologne that it would suspend the nationwide extremist label while the AfD’s urgent legal challenge proceeds. During the stand-still period the party reverts to a “suspected case,” limiting the surveillance tools available to the agency. The pause underscores the legal uncertainty surrounding efforts to tighten monitoring of the AfD and leaves the final status of the classification to the court’s forthcoming ruling.

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#Germany #BfV #Alternative for Germany #AfD #Brandenburg #Katrin Lange #Social Democratic Party #Jörg Müller #Lange #Administrative Court of Cologne

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Sources

jungefreiheit.de(4)zeit.de(2)spiked-online.com(2)faz.net(2)

Blick 

@Blickch

According to media reports, the German secret service has initially withdrawn the AfD's recently imposed status as “secured right-wing extremist.” The reasons for this are still unclear. https://t.co/vczTlzMbkS

CGTN Español

@cgtnenespanol

GERMANY: AFD LEADERS, WEIDEL AND CHRUPALLA, IN A JOINT STATEMENT ON THE PAUSE IN THE CLASSIFICATION OF EXTREMISTS: WE DEFEND OURSELVES WITH ALL LEGAL MEANS