News / Germany

Debate sparked in Germany on whether to surveil far-right party

Tuesday, 04 September 2018 9:31 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 04 September 2018 9:34 AM ]

Riot police face protesters at the end of a demonstration organised by the right-wing populist “Pro Chemnitz” movement, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and the anti-Muslim PEGIDA movement, in Chemnitz, eastern Germany, on September 1, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

A debate has been raised in Germany on whether to put the far-right, extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party — which has seats in the parliament — under surveillance over its suspected ties to anti-Islamic and racist groups.

Clashes erupted between police and around 6,000 supporters of the AfD and the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant group PEGIDA in the eastern city of Chemnitz after a man was fatally stabbed by two refugee suspects last weekend.

Several xenophobic attacks were then reported after a Syrian and an Iraqi were identified as the main suspects in the stabbing incident.

The states of Lower Saxony and Bremen said on Monday that their regional security services, tasked with policing unconstitutional activity, had placed AfD’s local youth wings under surveillance due to suspected xenophobic activities.

Amid calls by politicians and activists to monitor the AfD nation-wide, conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel distanced herself from the fray, saying it was up to the security services to decide whom to observe.

“These aren’t political decisions, but decisions that are based on facts,” she said at a news conference after a summit of business leaders and labor unions.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who was present at the same conference, said he agreed with Merkel in principle but added that the clashes in Chemnitz gave clear cause for a renewed look at whether the AfD should be monitored.

‘The country has gone mad’

According to new poll, 57 percent of Germans agreed that the AfD should be put under surveillance.

“The country has clearly gone mad,” said AfD chairman Joerg Meuthen, adding that far-left rock bands also had to be observed for what he called extremist tendencies.

Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said conditions had not been met to place the AfD as a whole under surveillance, vowing to monitor developments and individuals.

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