The dramatic reversal comes after AFD launched an urgent legal challenge, accusing the outgoing government of having launched a campaign of smear politically motivated a few days before leaving its duties. In its judicial file, the BFV did not offer any explanation for the sudden change.
The agency’s initial decision – based on an internal analysis of 1,000 pages reported – has marked a historic first: never before with a complete representation in the Bundestag has been officially labeled as a confirmed right -wing extremist organization. This designation would have enabled the BFV to intensify surveillance, including the use of informants.
Asked comments on the court file, a spokesperson for BFV refused to meet the request for politico.
The backpedal is likely to intensify the political debate on the question of whether AFD, now national surveys, should face an official ban. AFD, for its part, continues to frame the classification as an attempt to discredit the party before the government’s reshuffle. “We will continue to fight this in court,” said party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla.
Politices
