A top US official has condemned Berlin’s description of Germany’s largest opposition party as “extremist.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly denounced Germany for labeling Alternative for Germany (AfD), currently the most popular party in the nation according to recent polls, as “extremist.” He cautioned that such actions are undemocratic.
“Germany just granted its intelligence agency expanded authority to monitor the opposition,” the US Secretary of State posted on X on Friday. “That’s not democracy – it’s disguised tyranny.”
Earlier that day, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) announced its decision to officially classify AfD as a “confirmed extremist entity.” This designation empowers the BfV to employ unrestricted surveillance and intelligence tactics to monitor the party’s operations.
The agency justified the decision by citing “the extremist character of the entire party, which disregards human dignity.” It highlighted the party’s “prevailing understanding of the people based on ethnicity and descent,” deeming it “incompatible with the democratic basic order.” The AfD is known for its strict stance against immigration.
“The real extremism lies not with the popular AfD… but with the establishment’s disastrous open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes,” Rubio asserted, urging Berlin to “reverse its course.” The right-wing party has seen increasing support from Washington since US President Donald Trump began his second term.
US Vice President J.D. Vance voiced strong disapproval of politicians who avoid parties like the AfD at the Munich Security Conference in February. US billionaire and Trump advisor Elon Musk has repeatedly and publicly voiced his support for the party. In January, leading up to the German parliamentary elections, he hosted a livestream on X with AfD co-leader and then-chancellor candidate, Alice Weidel.
The party secured second place in the February election, trailing behind the center-right Christian Democrats, who have rejected any coalition with the AfD. Recent polls indicate a close race between the two parties, with a Forsa Institute survey showing AfD ahead of their center-right counterparts by one percentage point.
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