Germany Suspends AfD's 'Extremist' Label Amid Legal Challenge by Chrupalla and Weidel; Trump Supports

Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has temporarily suspended its classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a 'confirmed right-wing extremist' organization. This decision follows a legal challenge by the AfD against the classification, announced last week. The suspension will remain in effect until the Cologne Administrative Court rules on the AfD's urgent application to reverse the label. The AfD, which secured second place in the recent federal elections, has been a focal point of political tension both domestically and internationally. The party's leaders, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, have hailed the suspension as a significant step towards clearing their party's name and combating the accusation of right-wing extremism. The classification had sparked political tensions, particularly with the United States, where President Donald Trump has expressed support for the AfD. The BfV's decision to classify the AfD as extremist was based on a comprehensive internal report spanning over 1,000 pages, developed over several years. The report concluded that the AfD's ideology devalues entire groups of the German population and undermines their human dignity, which is incompatible with the fundamental democratic order. This classification had allowed for intensified police surveillance of the party, which will not be implemented during the suspension period.