Branding AfD as ‘extremist’ backfires terribly
(MENAFN) Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for Protecting the Constitution (Verfassungsschutz), has officially classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as “right-extremist.” This designation follows a detailed report spanning over a thousand pages, officially labeling the party as hostile to Germany's constitutional order. Although this classification does not ban the party, it significantly stigmatizes it, allowing greater surveillance and the potential for further legal actions, including a possible move to ban the party entirely.
Previously, the AfD’s regional branches and youth organizations had been similarly labeled, but now the entire party is formally categorized as “suspect,” which allows intelligence agencies to monitor its activities. This new move by the Verfassungsschutz focuses on the AfD’s xenophobic rhetoric and its promotion of an ethno-chauvinistic concept of the German nation that excludes non-ethnic Germans. The Verfassungsschutz argues that this is incompatible with the country’s constitution, which guarantees human dignity as an inviolable right.
While membership in the AfD is not illegal, individuals working as public servants, such as police officers, may face scrutiny over their allegiance to the state. The ruling has caused an outcry, and the AfD has vowed to fight it in court, though their past legal challenges against similar actions have been unsuccessful.
The move to label the AfD as an extremist party reflects its increasing influence, as it has risen to become a dominant force in German politics, polling around 25% and securing second place in the last federal elections. Critics argue that this escalation is a politically motivated attempt to weaken a growing opposition party, with some accusing the government of using legal measures to undermine the AfD’s success rather than defeating it at the ballot box.
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