“This is democracy.”
– Germany’s foreign ministry responds to U.S. criticism over AfD designation
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency on Friday officially designated the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist group, prompting swift condemnation from US conservatives.
The BfV said it took the step over the AfD’s efforts to “undermine the free, democratic” order. The classification allows expanded surveillance measures, including phone tapping and undercover agents.
“Central to our assessment is the ethnically and ancestrally defined concept of the people that shapes the AfD, which devalues entire segments of the population in Germany and violates their human dignity,” the agency said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the move “tyranny in disguise” and urged Germany to “reverse course.” The German foreign ministry responded, “This is democracy,” insisting the decision followed a thorough, independent probe.
AfD, which won 20.8% of the national vote in February, has been accused of antisemitism and anti-Muslim rhetoric. Elon Musk also backed the party in a campaign rally earlier this year, warning against “multiculturalism that dilutes everything.”
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