Germany Stands Firm After US Criticism Over Extremist Label for AfD Party
Germany’s Foreign Office has strongly defended the recent decision to label the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party as a far-right extremist group, following backlash from top U.S. officials including Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio called the move "tyranny in disguise", while Vance likened it to a symbolic rebuilding of the Berlin Wall by German bureaucrats. The response from Germany was swift and direct. In a rare diplomatic exchange on X (formerly Twitter), the German Foreign Office replied to Rubio, stating, "We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped."
Germany's domestic intelligence agency, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), expanded its extremist classification of the AfD—previously applied only in certain eastern states—to the entire party. The agency cited the AfD’s discriminatory stance, particularly its belief in ethnic-based citizenship and exclusionary rhetoric against Muslims, as fundamentally opposed to the democratic values of the German constitution.
The AfD had made substantial gains in the February federal election, securing 152 of the 630 parliamentary seats—second only to the ruling party. This political momentum has intensified the debate surrounding its influence and ideology.
AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla denounced the classification as a politically motivated attack and claimed it marked a serious threat to German democracy. Party figures have also drawn international support from figures like Elon Musk and JD Vance, who recently met with Weidel in Munich.
However, the new designation provides German authorities with expanded surveillance capabilities, including phone tapping and undercover investigations. Critics say this could be misused to suppress opposition, while the government insists it is a necessary step to preserve democratic integrity.
Adding fuel to the fire, discussions are underway within Germany’s Bundestag (parliament) about possibly banning the AfD altogether. Lars Klingbeil, head of the SPD and likely next vice-chancellor, stressed caution but warned, “They want to destroy our democracy—and we must take that very seriously.”
The situation has polarized both domestic and international observers, reopening historical wounds about fascism, authoritarianism, and the limits of free political expression.