German Far-Right Surveillance: Ruling & Public Opinion

A German court in Cologne on Thursday issued an injunction preventing the country’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), from classifying the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” group, pending a final ruling on the designation’s legality.

The administrative court found insufficient evidence to characterize the AfD as a whole as extremist, despite acknowledging evidence of potentially unconstitutional statements and policies within the party. These include demands for a ban on the Muslim call to prayer and minarets, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The court stated that it “cannot currently be established that the applicant, as a whole, is dominated by the positions discussed above.”

The BfV had classified the AfD as “certified right wing extremist” in May 2025, prompting the party to file an emergency injunction. Thursday’s decision represents the first preliminary legal judgement in the case, and the injunction remains valid until a final ruling is delivered, though the court did not specify a timeline for that decision.

The ruling does not prevent the BfV from continuing to monitor the AfD. According to the New York Times, the intelligence agency can still conduct surveillance on the party. However, the suspension of the “extremist” label is considered a symbolic victory for the AfD, Germany’s second-largest party in nationwide polling and its largest opposition party.

The AfD has faced scrutiny over views expressed by youth groups and individual members, who have distinguished between “ethnic Germans” and Germans with migrant roots, leading to calls for the party to be banned. The court’s decision comes as the AfD continues to gain political traction, despite concerns about its ideology.

The injunction bars the BfV from expanding its powers to surveil the party based on the extremist classification, Reuters reported. The agency’s assessment had been a key factor in determining the extent of its oversight of the AfD’s activities.