The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has filed a lawsuit against the country’s domestic intelligence agency after it was officially labeled a right-wing extremist group — a designation that opens the door for heightened government surveillance.
The far-right, anti-immigration party, which came in second in Germany’s national elections this February, confirmed the legal action Monday through a spokesperson for co-leader Alice Weidel.
The case was filed in an administrative court in Cologne, where the domestic intelligence agency — known as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution — is headquartered.
The AfD is pushing back hard against the label, calling it politically motivated and illegal. The classification allows the agency to monitor the party more aggressively, using informants and secret recordings.
Officials claim the party poses a threat to Germany’s democratic system, citing its inflammatory rhetoric against refugees and migrants.
The agency accuses the AfD of “disregarding human dignity” and promoting hate, echoing long-standing concerns over the party’s embrace of nationalist and anti-immigrant policies.
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The case has drawn international attention — and controversy. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the decision in a social media post, calling it “tyranny in disguise.”
In response, Germany’s Foreign Ministry defended the move as a necessary step to protect democracy, saying it followed an independent investigation.
“This is democracy,” the ministry posted. “We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism must be stopped.”
AfD has long courted controversy. It opposes Germany’s support for Ukraine in the ongoing war and has been accused of being too cozy with Russia.
The party has also drawn support from global figures like Elon Musk and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who met with AfD leaders earlier this year.
The lawsuit lands just a day before conservative Friedrich Merz is expected to officially become Germany’s new chancellor, replacing Olaf Scholz — a political moment already steeped in tension.
