AfD faces increased scrutiny over racist remarks, espionage allegations, as it tops polls in eastern states
\nGERMANY
\nA German high court on Monday ruled that domestic security services could continue to treat the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a potentially extremist party, meaning they retain the right to keep it under surveillance.
\nThe Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), charged with protecting Germany\u2019s democratic order from extremist threats, has classified the AfD as potentially extreme since 2021.
\nJudges at the higher administrative court in Muenster upheld a lower court\u2019s 2022 finding that the designation was proportionate and did not violate the constitution, or European or domestic civil law.
\n\u201cThe court finds there is sufficient evidence that the AfD pursues goals that run against the human dignity of certain groups and against democracy,\u201d the judges wrote.
\n\u201cThere are grounds to suspect at least part of the party wants to accord second-rank status to German citizens with a migration background.\u201d
\nThe party, which tops polls in several eastern states that hold elections later this year, has recently faced harsher scrutiny over racist remarks by members and allegations that it harbors spies and agents for Russia and China.
\nFew experts had expected the AfD\u2019s challenge to the lower court\u2019s ruling to succeed. The party presented no fresh evidence, instead taking up hours of court time with lengthy submissions demanding senior government officials be summoned as witnesses.
\nThat led some experts to suggest the court challenge was as much part of a communications strategy and a plan to gum up the institutions of the state as it was a legal strategy.
\n\u201cThis ruling shows that our democracy can defend itself,\u201d said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a statement. \u201cIt has tools that protect it from internal threats.\u201d
\nIn a statement, the AfD said, without giving details, that the court had echoed some of its criticisms of the BfV and added that it would appeal. Monday\u2019s ruling settles the facts of the case: an appeal could only involve questioning the way lower courts applied the law.
\nThe potentially extremist designation means security services can wiretap the party and recruit informants inside it.
\nThe AfD was vying with the opposition conservatives to top nationwide polls earlier this year when revelations about a meeting at which senior members discussed deportations of non-ethnic German citizens prompted months of street protests.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AfD faces increased scrutiny over racist remarks, espionage allegations, as it tops polls in eastern states GERMANY A German high court on Monday ruled that domestic security services could continue to treat the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a potentially extremist party, meaning they retain the right to keep it under surveillance. The Federal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":406800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-406787","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n