German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suggested cutting off regional governments from federal intelligence if the AfD wins upcoming state elections, citing the party's "anti-democratic" stance and alleged ties to Moscow. The AfD, currently leading in polls, faces scrutiny over its constitutionality and alleged Russian funding.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has urged the exclusion of regional governments formed by the AfD party from federal intelligence networks, citing concerns over "anti-democratic" tendencies and alleged ties to Moscow. The AfD faces scrutiny over its stance on Russia and its relationship with the constitution.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suggested cutting off regional governments from federal intelligence networks if the AfD wins upcoming state elections, citing alleged "undeniable" ties to Moscow and anti-democratic tendencies. The AfD, currently the most popular party, denies these claims and is challenging its "extremist" label from the domestic intelligence agency.
Germany's Society for Civil Rights (GFF) released a legal assessment concluding the far-right AfD is unconstitutional, reigniting debate over a ban. While the report provides extensive evidence, political appetite for such a move remains low, with the AfD dismissing the findings, partly due to AI use in analysis.
In 2025, nearly two-thirds of violent attacks against politicians in Germany targeted members of the AfD party, with the party also being the most frequent target of non-violent offenses. Left-wing suspects were reportedly behind 60% of violent politically-motivated crimes.
Saxony's Interior Ministry has been revoking and denying firearms licenses to AfD members and supporters under a secret decree issued last July, confirmed by the ministry but kept unpublished as an "internal document." The measure applies to the party's Saxony branch, designated a "confirmed right-wing extremist" organization in December 2023, with a higher court rejecting an appeal in January 2025. An independent lawmaker is leading a parliamentary inquiry into how many licenses have been revoked.
