Berlin, Germany — May 2, 2025
In a stunning act of political aggression, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), publicly declared the nation’s leading opposition party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a “confirmed far-right extremist group” just days before a new federal government is set to be sworn in.
The unprecedented move, based on a secretive 1,100-page internal dossier not available to the public, effectively criminalizes the political activity of Germany’s most popular party, which currently leads national polls with 26% support—surpassing the establishment CDU/CSU bloc at 24%.
The decision carries dire consequences. Under this new classification, civil servants, police officers, teachers, and military personnel can be barred or purged from their jobs simply for supporting or affiliating with the AfD. The BfV’s ruling labels the party’s platform “ethnonationalist” and accuses it of rejecting Germany’s “free democratic order”—despite growing grassroots support among immigrant, ex-Muslim, and Jewish communities who oppose radical gender ideology and uncontrolled mass migration.
A Desperate Attempt to Stop Political Change
The AfD responded with fury, calling the BfV’s decision a “politically motivated defamation campaign designed to sabotage democratic competition.” Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla denounced the move as “a targeted interference in the democratic process,” and vowed immediate legal action.
Critics across the political spectrum have voiced concern that the timing of the declaration—just four days before Germany’s new administration takes power and with the BfV currently lacking a formal director—smacks of desperation. The AfD’s previous “suspected case” status had never been legally confirmed, and yet the full extremist label was slapped on without judicial review.
“It’s a disgrace,” said U.S. Vice President JD Vance. “Germany’s so-called defenders of democracy are doing everything in their power to suppress political dissent. Censorship and state intimidation of opposition parties are far greater threats to liberty than anything the AfD proposes.”
Political Weaponization of Intelligence
This is the first time in postwar history that Germany’s secret police have used their platform to hold press conferences maligning a major democratic opposition party. The BfV claimed that the AfD seeks to deny “equal participation” to citizens of Muslim background. But facts don’t back that up.
The AfD boasts visible minority leaders like Kurdish women’s rights activist Leyla Bilge and Albanian-German politician Enxhi Seli-Zacharias. The party also enjoys growing support from Muslim-background voters appalled by gender indoctrination in schools and the erosion of family values. It is also home to the “Jews in the AfD” group, largely comprised of ex-Soviet Jewish immigrants who fled Islamic antisemitism in Central Asia.
Yet the government’s narrative persists.
Europe’s New Authoritarianism
“This decision shows that Germany is no longer a democratic state,” said Russian Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin. “It is one of several European countries now criminalizing opposition, jailing political enemies, and banning rival parties. This is totalitarianism in real time.”
Indeed, the parallels are growing. In France, Moldova, Romania, and elsewhere, the ruling parties have used judiciary and intelligence services to hound opposition leaders and outlaw populist challengers. Now, Germany joins that list—facing accusations of attempting to rig the electoral battlefield by fear and administrative fiat.
The Path Ahead
Despite the smear campaign, the AfD continues to surge. The party’s opposition to mass immigration, DEI indoctrination, and energy poverty is resonating with working-class Germans and young families alike. Their lead in the polls is growing.
“The BfV and political elites can call us names,” said one AfD activist in Saxony. “But the German people know the truth. We are not going anywhere.”
As Germany approaches the dawn of a new government, the battle between entrenched establishment forces and rising populist momentum is set to explode. Whether democracy survives may depend not on who wins the vote—but whether the vote still matters.