US EditionAfD Hails Court Injunction on 'Extremist' Label as Victory
The injunction blocks the intelligence agency from labeling AfD extremist pending a final decision, affecting surveillance powers before five state elections in 2026.
- On February 26, 2026, Cologne's administrative court issued a temporary injunction blocking Germany's domestic intelligence service from calling the Alternative for Germany extremist.
- The BfV's May decision prompted the AfD to sue, and following the summary procedure, the court said it cannot currently establish party-wide domination by extremist positions.
- The party stressed its national standing by pointing to its 152 seats and 20.8% vote share last year, while AfD co-leader Alice Weidel hailed the ruling as `a great victory not just for AfD, but also for democracy and the rule of law!`.
- The injunction remains in force until the court rules, limiting the BfV's ability to treat the AfD as extremist and restricting authorities' monitoring powers.
- It remains unclear when the court will issue a final ruling; the case engages the BfV's mandate to protect Germany's `free democratic basic order`, with only two party bans since World War Two.
39 Articles
39 Articles
Alternative für Deutschland receives a first victory in court: for the moment internal intelligence services cannot classify it and treat it as a far-right movement. It has established...
BERLIN (AP) — A German court ruled Thursday that the country’s domestic intelligence agency cannot designate the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as a proven right-wing extremist group, as it considers a complaint from the opposition party against last year’s designation. The BfV intelligence agency announced its decision on Alternative for Germany in May. It described the party as a threat to the country’s democratic order, saying it “disreg…
leprogres.fr
Despite "a strong suspicion" that the party "develops anticonstitutional tendencies", the Cologne Administrative Court decided this Thursday not to classify the AfD as a "proven extremist" right-wing party.
A reverse decision would have allowed the intelligence service linked to the Ministry of the Interior to intensify the police surveillance of the party, by intercepting, for example, private communications from its leaders.
This was decided by the Cologne Administrative Court. Co-party leader Alice Weill speaks of a "great victory" – not only for the AfD, "but also for democracy and the rule of law."
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