U.S., Germany in Political Clash Over AfD Extremism Designation

A major diplomatic dispute has erupted between the United States and Germany after Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution designated the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an extremist organization. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance, condemned the move as undemocratic, accusing Germany of suppressing political opposition and likening the action to tyranny. Germany’s foreign ministry defended the decision, emphasizing it was legally justified and necessary to protect democracy from right-wing extremism, referencing the nation’s historical responsibility to prevent such threats. The classification enables German authorities to expand surveillance of the AfD, citing the party’s anti-migrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric as grounds for concern. AfD leaders have denounced the decision as an attack on democracy and pledged to challenge it in court. The controversy comes at a sensitive time for Germany, ahead of major historical commemorations and political transitions.