German government labels AfD as far-right extremist, citing disregard for human dignity

The German federal government has officially classified the entire "Alternative für Deutschland" (AfD) far-right political faction as a far-right extremist entity, arguing the party’s “disregard for human dignity and its extremist character as a whole.”

The Cologne-based Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has announced their decision on April 2, Caliber.Az reports citing German media outlets.

Acting Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that the AfD is demonstrably undermining the free democratic basic order, while emphasising the independence of the domestic intelligence agency in this matter.

According to her, the new classification is the result of a comprehensive investigation, documented in a 1,100-page report, stressing that there had been no political interference.

The far-right AfD had made significant gains in the federal election on February 23, with 20.8 per cent of the votes that transformed it into the second-largest parliamentary group after the CDU/CSU bloc. Under the newly formed black-red (CDU-SPD) coalition government, the AfD will serve as the largest opposition party in parliament.

Until now, the AfD had been classified at the federal level as a suspected far-right extremist case. Some regional branches of the party, as well as its youth organisation Junge Alternative, had already been under surveillance as confirmed far-right extremist entities.

By Nazrin Sadigova