Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has officially classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a "confirmed right-wing extremist effort," citing its disregard for human dignity and its extremist orientation.
The BfV’s decision follows prior rulings by the Cologne Administrative Court in 2022 and the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2024, which upheld the party's classification as a suspected extremist organization. These assessments have since been substantiated by further evidence, the agency said.
The BfV's evaluation considered the party’s platform, public statements by its leaders, and links to extremist individuals and groups, including developments following the May 2024 court ruling. It also reviewed the AfD’s recent electoral campaigns, changes in its relationship with its youth wing Junge Alternative — itself classified as extremist — and the party's activities leading up to the formation of its parliamentary group in the 21st Bundestag.
The agency found the party's ethnically defined concept of the German people incompatible with Germany’s democratic order, noting that it seeks to exclude certain population groups, particularly people with migration backgrounds from Muslim-majority countries, from equal participation in society.
BfV Vice Presidents Sinan Selen and Dr. Silke Willems stated that the classification is based on a comprehensive three-year assessment of statements and activities by leading AfD figures nationwide. They cited the party's sustained anti-migrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric as central to the BfV’s determination.
The classification means that the AfD is now under heightened scrutiny as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization.
