Germany’s main opposition party harbouring 20,000 extremists, says spy agency

Germany's main opposition party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), is facing scrutiny as the nation's domestic spy agency reveals a concerning rise in right-wing extremism within its ranks.

According to the agency's annual report, the number of identified extremists within the AfD surged by 77 per cent in 2024, reaching approximately 20,000 people.

This increase coincides with the party's overall growth in membership and a noted shift towards more radical positions.

The agency has also reported a parallel increase in overall crime motivated by right-wing extremism.

In May, the agency classified the AfD as "extremist", based on a 1,100-page report.

This classification allows for increased monitoring of the party, although the AfD has launched a legal challenge against the decision.

Party statements frequently included xenophobic and anti-Muslim positions, with migrants from predominantly Islamic countries often accused of cultural incompatibility and a strong inclination toward criminal behaviour, the agency said.

AfD leaders frequently made statements that could be considered to attack the constitution during state election campaigns in eastern Germany in 2024 - and mostly were not reined in by the party, the agency said.

It cited the leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, who at a campaign event in August said the election could "lead to the implosion of the cartel party system" and "finally bring about something that is a true democracy".

Crime motivated by right-wing extremism in Germany jumped 47.4 per cent in 2024, including six attempted murders, up from four in 2023.

There were also 23 cases of arson, up from 16, the agency said.

AfD surged to an historic second place in the national elections in February, securing an unprecedented influence in the country’s post-war political landscape.

The party doubled their share from 2021 to win 20.8 per cent of the vote in the election, in a surge described by victor Friedrich Merz – whose conservative bloc won with just 28.5 per cent – as a “final warning” to democratic parties.

AfD leaders have been fined for using banned Nazi slogans and members expelled for suspected paramilitary involvement.

Its electoral success came in a campaign dominated by concerns over immigration and marred by three suspected terror attacks, bolstering support for the hardline anti-migrant party.