London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 25, 2025

Germany's far-right AfD becomes first party to be put under government surveillance since Nazi era

Germany's far-right AfD becomes first party to be put under government surveillance since Nazi era

Germany's BfV domestic intelligence service has formally placed the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) under surveillance on suspicion of trying to undermine Germany's democratic constitution, a person briefed on the move said on Wednesday.

After four years ago becoming the first avowedly anti-immigrant party to enter the German parliament, the AfD now becomes the first party to be monitored in this way since the Nazi era ended in 1945.

It was propelled into the Bundestag in 2017 by voters angry with Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to welcome more than one million migrants. But it has been ostracized by other parties, which say its rhetoric contributes to an atmosphere of hatred that encourages violence against immigrants.

The BfV's move follows a two-year review of the AfD's political platform, and will allow the agency to eavesdrop on calls and conversations involving AfD members and scrutinize party funding.

A spokeswoman for the BfV declined to comment, citing a court case brought by the AfD, but the party was furious.

"The agenda is clear. First we are made a 'case to investigate', now we are a 'suspected case' and are under surveillance -- and at some point there will be a request to ban our party," said Alexander Gauland, the AfD's parliamentary floor leader. "That, thank God, will be a decision for the Constitutional Court and not the BfV."

Gauland and AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla told a news conference that they had only learnt about the decision, first reported by the magazine Der Spiegel, from media reports. They accused the BfV of trying to hurt their chances in September's national election.

Court challenge


The Central Council of Jews in Germany welcomed the decision, saying: "The AfD's destructive politics undermine our democratic institutions and discredit democracy among citizens."

The AfD registered 12.6% support in the 2017 federal election to become the third-biggest party in the Bundestag, and also has lawmakers in all 16 regional assemblies.

But its support has fallen to some 9% in recent surveys, dented by infighting and its opposition to lockdown measures to stem the coronavirus pandemic.

One of its co-leaders, Joerg Meuthen, has opened a rift by arguing that the AfD needs to expel members suspected of sympathizing with far-right groups who espouse violence in order to broaden its appeal.

The AfD had also secured a court ruling that prevented the BfV publicly calling it a "case under investigation" as this puts it at a disadvantage in elections. A bid to halt the BfV's review is still in the courts, however.

The BfV told the Administrative Court in Cologne last month that it would not monitor AfD lawmakers in the national, regional or European parliaments while that case was being heard.

This suggested that formal surveillance would for now be limited to lower-level party members.

Four years ago, the German government failed to ban the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD), which had won a handful of seats in a number of regional state assemblies. The Constitutional Court ruled that, while it resembled Adolf Hitler's Nazi party, it was too weak to endanger democracy.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×