Germany’s Foreign Office has defended the classification of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party as a right-wing extremist organisation, following sharp criticism from senior US officials.
US Vice-President JD Vance accused German authorities of “rebuilding the Berlin Wall”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the move as “tyranny in disguise”.
Responding directly on X (formerly Twitter), Germany’s Foreign Office countered Rubio’s remarks, stating: “We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped.”
The decision was made by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV), which concluded that the AfD’s ideology based on ethnicity and descent contradicts Germany’s democratic values.
Previously labelled as extremist in three eastern states, where it enjoys significant support, the AfD has now been designated as a right-wing extremist party at the national level.
The BfV stated that the AfD seeks to exclude certain population groups, particularly citizens from predominantly Muslim countries, from equal participation in society.
The party’s leadership, including co-chairs Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, called the decision “politically motivated” and “a severe blow to German democracy”. Beatrix von Storch, the party’s deputy leader in parliament, likened the move to tactics employed by authoritarian regimes.
The new classification permits security services to use enhanced surveillance measures, including phone tapping and infiltration by undercover agents.
In its statement, the Foreign Office reiterated that the decision was based on an “independent and thorough investigation” and emphasised that the party has the right to appeal.
Germany’s firm stance reflects its historical commitment to combatting extremism, rooted in the legacy of the Nazi era and the Holocaust.