Germany’s Labelling of AfD as Extremist Strains Ties With US
Friedrich Merz and Alice Weidel (Image credit X.com)
Marco Rubio Calls Germany’s Labelling AfD Extremist ‘Tyranny in Disguise’
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, May 2, 2025 — Germany’s decision to classify the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the country’s main opposition party, as a right-wing extremist group has escalated tensions with the United States, raising questions about the balance between democratic norms and national security in Europe.
The designation announced this week by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, grants authorities expanded powers to monitor the AfD’s activities. The move follows the party’s strong showing in February’s federal election, where it secured over 20 percent of the vote, doubling its share and solidifying its place as a major political force.
The AfD’s rise, fuelled by its anti-immigration platform, mirrors the growing influence of far-right movements across Europe. In France, Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, was recently barred from running in elections after a corruption conviction, a development that has drawn parallels to Germany’s actions against the AfD.
The Trump administration, which campaigned heavily on anti-immigration policies in last November’s US presidential election, sharply criticized the German and French governments. President Trump accused both nations of undermining democratic values by targeting opposition parties.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state and interim national security adviser, called Germany’s decision “tyranny in disguise.” In a statement, Rubio said, “Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy. What is truly extremist is the establishment’s open-border immigration policies that the AfD opposes.” He urged Germany to reconsider its stance.
Germany’s intelligence agency justified the extremist label, citing the AfD’s rhetoric, particularly its claim that Germany’s five million Muslims are not part of the nation’s identity. James Jackson, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera that the agency views this stance as “fundamentally anti-democratic.”
The decision has sparked debate about whether Germany is moving toward banning the AfD, the second-largest party in the Bundestag. Ian Bremmer, a US-based political scientist, wrote on X that the designation “opens the party to more government surveillance and reignites debate over a potential ban.”
The AfD condemned the move as a “severe blow to German democracy,” according to a statement reported by Channel 4 News. Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has vowed to challenge the classification legally.
Elon Musk, a prominent supporter of President Trump, weighed in on X, calling the AfD “Germany’s most popular party” and warning that banning it would be “an extreme attack on democracy.” Musk had previously endorsed the AfD during Germany’s election campaign, hosting discussions on X’s Spaces platform.
The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of far-right movements in Europe. In Germany, the AfD’s designation as extremist follows years of monitoring by intelligence agencies, which had already classified some of the party’s factions as extremist. DW, Germany’s public broadcaster, reported that the entire party is now subject to the same scrutiny.
As Germany and the United States navigate this diplomatic rift, analysts warn that the dispute could further polarize political discourse in both countries, with implications for trans-Atlantic relations and the global fight against populism.
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