Latest news with #TinoChrupalla
Russia Today
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
German spies grant AfD reprieve
Germany's domestic intelligence agency has temporarily suspended its classification of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a 'confirmed right-wing extremist' group, pending the outcome of a legal appeal. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) suspended the label on Thursday and removed a press release about the designation from its website. The classification, which was announced by the BfV last week, was based on a comprehensive report alleging that the AfD promotes policies excluding individuals with migrant backgrounds, particularly Muslims, from full societal participation. The BfV claimed that the party 'disregards human dignity' and uses terms such as 'knife-wielding migrants' to ascribe violent tendencies to non-European ethnic groups. The AfD leadership condemned the decision as 'a severe blow to German democracy' and filed a lawsuit in a Cologne court, arguing that the classification was politically motivated and lacked sufficient evidence. As a result, the BfV temporarily withdrew the classification, but said it would monitor the party as a 'suspected case' of an extremist organization. The suspended designation would have empowered the BfV to carry out broad surveillance of the AfD's activities. The lower-level designation also allows surveillance, but under stricter judicial oversight. AfD co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla welcomed the temporary suspension, calling it 'a first important step' that will help 'counter the accusation of right-wing extremism.' The 'extremist' label was met with skepticism by many German politicians. Then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and incoming Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned against banning the AfD. Dobrindt has argued that the party should be made irrelevant through good governance rather than drastic measures. He also insisted on a discussion over the reasons that the AfD has risen to prominence, referring to recent polls indicating that it has become the most popular party in Germany, reaching 26% support. The AfD's surge has often been attributed to public frustration over the immigration policies of the mainstream parties, as well as economic challenges and perceived government ineffectiveness.
Euronews
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
German intelligence agency suspends AfD's 'extremist' designation
Germany's domestic intelligence agency has said it will await a court ruling before moving forward with plans to classify the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a "right-wing extremist" movement, a step that could subject the party to broader surveillance and scrutiny of its activities. The announced pause comes after the party filed a lawsuit in the western city of Cologne against the move by the BfV intelligence service and the party's supporters alleged a politically motivated crackdown. German officials have denied that allegation and have faulted what they called the party's "ongoing agitation" against refugees and migrants. The AfD's co-leaders, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, responded in a joint statement saying the intelligence service's decision was "a first important step" that would help "counter the accusation of right-wing extremism." The pause by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution means that it cannot move forward with previous plans to use enhanced tools like video and audio surveillance, and use informants, to scrutinise the activities of the AfD, which came second in parliamentary elections in February. It does not mean that the intelligence agency has dropped those plans for good. The decision, months in the making, came days before the new German government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office on Tuesday, replacing the outgoing coalition led by the Social Democrats' Olaf Scholz. The intelligence agency cited a number of pronouncements by AfD officials, including statements like, "Every additional foreigner in this country is one too many," the German news agency dpa reported. The US administration has criticised the decision by the intelligence service, prompting a retort from the German Foreign Ministry. In a social media post last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification, saying the move to give new powers to the spy agency to watch the opposition amounted to "tyranny in disguise." The German Foreign Ministry responded by saying the decision resulted from an independent investigation to protect Germany's Constitution and the rule of law.
08-05-2025
- Politics
German spy agency suspends 'extremist' designation of far-right AfD party
BERLIN -- Germany's domestic intelligence agency said Thursday it will await a court ruling before moving forward with plans to classify the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party as a ' right-wing extremist ' movement, a step that could subject the party to broader surveillance and scrutiny of its activities. The announced pause comes after the party, known as AfD, filed a lawsuit in the western city of Cologne against the move by the intelligence service and the party's supporters alleged a politically motivated crackdown. German officials have denied that allegation and have faulted what they called the party's 'ongoing agitation' against refugees and migrants. The AfD's co-leaders, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, responded in a joint statement saying the intelligence service's decision Thursday was 'a first important step' that would help 'counter the accusation of right-wing extremism.' The pause by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution means that it cannot move forward with previous plans to use enhanced tools like video and audio surveillance, and use of informants, to scrutinize the activities of the AfD, which came second in parliamentary elections in February. It does not mean that the intelligence agency has dropped those plans for good. The decision, months in the making, came days before the new German government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office on Tuesday — replacing the outgoing coalition led by the Social Democrats' Olaf Scholz. The intelligence agency cited a number of pronouncements by AfD officials, including statements like, "Every additional foreigner in this country is one too many,' the German news agency DPA reported. The U.S. administration has criticized the decision by the intelligence service, prompting a retort from the German Foreign Ministry. In a social media post last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification, saying the move to give new powers to the spy agency to watch the opposition amounted to 'tyranny in disguise.' The German Foreign Ministry responded by saying the decision resulted from an independent investigation to protect Germany's Constitution and the rule of law.
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
German spy agency suspends ‘extremist' designation of far-right AfD party
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's domestic intelligence agency said Thursday it will await a court ruling before moving forward with plans to classify the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party as a ' right-wing extremist ' movement, a step that could subject the party to broader surveillance and scrutiny of its activities. The announced pause comes after the party, known as AfD, filed a lawsuit in the western city of Cologne against the move by the intelligence service and the party's supporters alleged a politically motivated crackdown. German officials have denied that allegation and have faulted what they called the party's 'ongoing agitation' against refugees and migrants. The AfD's co-leaders, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, responded in a joint statement saying the intelligence service's decision Thursday was 'a first important step' that would help 'counter the accusation of right-wing extremism.' The pause by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution means that it cannot move forward with previous plans to use enhanced tools like video and audio surveillance, and use of informants, to scrutinize the activities of the AfD, which came second in parliamentary elections in February. It does not mean that the intelligence agency has dropped those plans for good. The decision, months in the making, came days before the new German government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office on Tuesday — replacing the outgoing coalition led by the Social Democrats' Olaf Scholz. The intelligence agency cited a number of pronouncements by AfD officials, including statements like, 'Every additional foreigner in this country is one too many,' the German news agency DPA reported. The U.S. administration has criticized the decision by the intelligence service, prompting a retort from the German Foreign Ministry. In a social media post last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification, saying the move to give new powers to the spy agency to watch the opposition amounted to 'tyranny in disguise.' The German Foreign Ministry responded by saying the decision resulted from an independent investigation to protect Germany's Constitution and the rule of law.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German spy agency suspends 'extremist' designation of far-right AfD party
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's domestic intelligence agency said Thursday it will await a court ruling before moving forward with plans to classify the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party as a ' right-wing extremist ' movement, a step that could subject the party to broader surveillance and scrutiny of its activities. The announced pause comes after the party, known as AfD, filed a lawsuit in the western city of Cologne against the move by the intelligence service and the party's supporters alleged a politically motivated crackdown. German officials have denied that allegation and have faulted what they called the party's 'ongoing agitation' against refugees and migrants. The AfD's co-leaders, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, responded in a joint statement saying the intelligence service's decision Thursday was 'a first important step' that would help 'counter the accusation of right-wing extremism.' The pause by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution means that it cannot move forward with previous plans to use enhanced tools like video and audio surveillance, and use of informants, to scrutinize the activities of the AfD, which came second in parliamentary elections in February. It does not mean that the intelligence agency has dropped those plans for good. The decision, months in the making, came days before the new German government led by conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office on Tuesday — replacing the outgoing coalition led by the Social Democrats' Olaf Scholz. The intelligence agency cited a number of pronouncements by AfD officials, including statements like, "Every additional foreigner in this country is one too many,' the German news agency DPA reported. The U.S. administration has criticized the decision by the intelligence service, prompting a retort from the German Foreign Ministry. In a social media post last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Germany to undo the classification, saying the move to give new powers to the spy agency to watch the opposition amounted to 'tyranny in disguise.' The German Foreign Ministry responded by saying the decision resulted from an independent investigation to protect Germany's Constitution and the rule of law.
