US-Germany tensions flare after Berlin brands AfD party extremist
Germany’s intelligence agency has officially classified the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) as an extremist group, sparking a diplomatic clash with Washington.
The German domestic intelligence services (BfV) agency, which had previously identified various local branches of AfD as right-wing extremists, announced that it has taken action against the entire party due to its efforts to “undermine the free, democratic” system in Germany.
The intelligence agency said the AfD “aims to exclude certain population groups from equal participation in society.”
In particular, the AfD does not consider German citizens with a migrant background from countries with large Muslim populations to be “equal members of the German people”, it added.
US Vice-President JD Vance accused Germany of rebuilding a “Berlin Wall”, adding that the “West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt – not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment.”
Vance, who met the AfD leader in Munich in February, stated on social media that the AfD is “the most popular party in Germany.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called the move “tyranny in disguise” and said “Germany should reverse course.”
President Donald Trump’s billionaire adviser Elon Musk has also previously defended the AfD.
The German foreign ministry, in return, replied directly to Rubio on social media: “This is democracy.”
The ministry said that the “decision is the result of a thorough and independent investigation to protect our constitution” and could be appealed.
“We have learned from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped,” the ministry said.
The AfD condemned the decision as a “heavy blow” to democracy, coming just months after its strong second-place finish in federal elections. The party pledged to fight the designation in court.
In the February federal elections, the AfD secured the second position, obtaining a historic 152 seats out of 630 in the parliament, representing 20.8% of the total votes.
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