German intelligence to prepare new report on far-right AfD party
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The chief of a domestic intelligence agency has warned that the number of right-wing extremists with dangerous intents in Germany is increasing.
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Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, center right, both AfD chairmen, during the forecast for the European election in Berlin on June 9, 2024 (AP)
Germany's domestic intelligence agency will compile a fresh report on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to investigate the party's extremist inclinations, its chairman announced on Wednesday.
The chief of the domestic intelligence agency BfV, Thomas Haldenwang, divulged to local media that authorities were more concerned about the growing radicalization of right-wing organizations, describing to DPA a "renewed increase in the number of violent right-wing extremists in the country."
He divulged that his office investigated extremist tendencies within the AfD, the largest German far-right party.
Last year's BfV report revealed that around 10,200 members of the AfD and its youth branch Junge Alternative had violent intentions and extreme beliefs.
Sunday's EU elections saw significant gains for the far-right, as exit polls indicate Marine Le Pen's National Rally in France and Alternative for Germany leading the governing parties, potentially shifting the balance within the European Parliament at a critical juncture.
In Germany, the Alternative for Germany party overcame a series of pre-election scandals to claim second place with approximately 16%, ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and its coalition partners.
These outcomes represent significant blows to Europe's right-wing that are masquerading as centrists, as the far-right gains more significant sway within the EU's legislative body. However, despite these gains, the far-right factions remain fragmented and are expected to remain on the sidelines in Brussels.
In recent years, the AfD has been entangled in a number of controversies, including a secret gathering of senior leaders to prepare mass deportation of immigrants, casting doubt on the party's adherence to democratic norms.
Since 2021, Germany's domestic intelligence service has been monitoring the AfD's youth wing and different affiliates for suspected anti-democratic intentions.
Prominent members of the party have stirred outrage with anti-immigrant, antisemitic, and Islamophobic statements, which critics say promote xenophobia and racism in the country.
Hundreds of thousands in Germany protest against AfD
In January, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in German cities to condemn the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Approximately 100,000 demonstrators gathered in Dusseldorf under the motto "We will not remain silent against AfD" to condemn what they described as "xenophobia, racial discrimination, and right-wing extremism in Germany."
#hh2801 #Hamburgstehtauf
— Scoopic (@Scoopic) January 28, 2024
Hamburg - ihr seid der Wahnsinn!!! Die letzte Demo wurde jetzt schon übertroffen. Es sind über 50.000 Menschen die #AfDzerstoertDeutschland sagen! @fff_hamburg und alle anderen Dankeschön 🤝🤜🤛#AfDgehoertnichtzuDeutschland #AfDmachtDumm pic.twitter.com/dZEMYShs0v
Protesters carried flags decrying racism and yelled slogans against the AfD, and politicians from all parties joined and supported the march in Aachen, near the Dutch border.
In Kiel, police reported nearly 11,500 people attending a demonstration planned against the AfD.
While the AfD has seen growing support nationally, with recent opinion polls placing it at 22% in a July 2023 poll, making it the second-largest party behind the main opposition conservatives, its strength is particularly pronounced in former East Germany, where it polls at around 32 percent, according to a survey commissioned by Der Spiegel magazine.
The rise of AfD has triggered social democrats much to the point of Scholz calling them a "demolition commando" that is a threat to German democracy.
"Most citizens know that the self-called 'Alternative' is, in reality, a demolition commando -- a demolition squad for our country," Scholz told parliament at the start of budget debate week, while also expressing concern about the AfD's advocacy for a return to nationalism.
In August 2023, German sources told The Telegraph that the Bundestag is contemplating banning the AfD.
