Germany Labels AfD As Extremist; US’s Marco Rubio Calls Surveillance "Tyranny"

Germany vs US: Disagreement Over Monitoring Opposition Party

Germany has allowed its intelligence agency to keep an eye on the opposition political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), calling it a threat to democracy. This decision caused a strong reaction from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Germany’s move was “tyranny in disguise,” not real democracy.

Rubio shared his views on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Germany gave its spy agency more power to watch opposition parties. That’s not democratic. The AfD, which came second in the recent election, is not the problem — the real problem is Germany’s dangerous open-border immigration policies.”

In response, Germany’s Foreign Ministry said the decision was based on a full and fair investigation. They said it was necessary to protect the country’s Constitution and stop the spread of far-right extremism. They also added that Germany’s courts would have the final say on such matters.

Germany’s intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), officially labeled the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist group.” They said the party’s views go against democracy and that it promotes ethnic-based ideas, treating people with migration backgrounds—especially Muslims—as second-class citizens.

NBC News reported that the AfD had already been under surveillance for extremist behavior, and now it’s officially recognized as a far-right extremist group. The party did well in the recent February elections, coming in second, showing the growing support for far-right parties across Europe. The AfD is also known to be supported by US figures like Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk.

Highlights:

Germany’s intelligence agency officially labeled AfD as a “right-wing extremist group.”
The agency will now monitor AfD for anti-democratic activities.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the move, calling it “tyranny in disguise.”
Germany defended the decision as necessary to protect the Constitution and stop extremism.
AfD recently came second in Germany’s national elections, gaining strong public support.