On Monday, May 13, 2024, the High Administrative Court in Muenster, Germany, rejected the German far-right party Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) bid to overturn its designation as a suspected extremist party.
"The court finds there is sufficient evidence that the AfD pursues goals that run against the human dignity of certain groups and against democracy," the judges wrote, according to Reuters.
"There are grounds to suspect at least part of the party wants to accord second-rank status to German citizens with a migration background."
AfD has been classified as potentially extremist by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) since 2021.
The designation allows national intelligence agencies to wiretap members of the party, employ informants, and generally monitor the party and its members for dangerous and illegal behavior.
AfD was established in 2013, born out of Eurosceptic sentiments among some German conservatives. The party describes itself as liberal, conservative, and democratic.
Today, the party is noted for its continued opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration, Islam, and same-sex marriage. Also notable is the party’s denial of human-made climate change.
Most recently, however, the most significant coverage of AfD has been related to its controversial ties to Russia, with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) allegedly being paid to disseminate pro-Russian propaganda.
Currently, AfD polls as the second-largest party in Germany, standing to receive 18% of the votes if there were a parliamentary election today, Politico polls show.
