German intelligence agency suspends AfD party's classification as ‘extremist’ following legal action

Germany's intelligence services have decided to pause the application of the classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an "extremist" far-right organization, pending a court ruling on a lawsuit filed by the political formation.

The decision, communicated Thursday by a spokeswoman for the Cologne Administrative Court, reported Europa Press, is in response to legal action initiated by AfD against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) on Monday, May 5.

Context of the controversy

On Friday, May 2, the BfV, the German Interior Ministry's intelligence agency, had classified AfD as a nationwide "right-wing extremist organization" following a report of more than 1,100 pages that concluded that the party's positions are "incompatible with the liberal democratic order."

The agency noted that the ethnic and descent-based conception promoted by AfD "devalues entire segments of the population in Germany and violates their human dignity," especially in relation to citizens with a migrant background, particularly from Muslim countries.

This classification allowed for intensified surveillance on the party, including the possibility of monitoring meetings, tapping communications and infiltrating informants.

The AfD lawsuit

In response, AfD filed an urgent lawsuit on May 5 with the Administrative Court in Cologne, where the BfV is based, arguing that the classification as "extremist" is "manifestly illegal" and a "serious blow against democracy."

In that regard, the party leaders, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, announced on their X account:

"We are using all legal means to defend ourselves from the enhancement of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. And the Federal Office has committed itself to stop labeling Alternative for Germany as a 'confirmed right-wing extremist' until a court ruling is handed down. This is an important first step to exonerate us and thus counter the accusation of right-wing extremism."

The BfV, for its part, declined to comment, merely noting that these are "ongoing proceedings."

It is not yet known when the Cologne Administrative Court will issue a ruling.

The resolution of the case in Cologne will be key in determining whether the authorities can intensify their scrutiny of the formation or whether AfD will succeed in curbing what it describes as a "defamation" campaign against it.