German court blocks intelligence agency from labeling AfD as extremist

A German court Thursday blocked the country's domestic intelligence agency from classifying the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as "a proven extremist organization."

The Administrative Court in Cologne ruled that the BfV intelligence agency must wait for the outcome of a full trial before it can treat the party as a confirmed extremist group or publicly announce the designation.

The court said that although there is enough evidence showing extremist activities occurring within the AfD, the party cannot be characterized "in a way that its overall image can be described as having an anti-constitutional tendency."

AfD co-chair Alice Weidel hailed the ruling as "a great victory not only for the AfD, but also for democracy and the rule of law," writing on social media that the party "must no longer be listed as a proven right-wing extremist."

BfV classified the AfD as a proven extremist group in 2025, following a years-long investigation. The agency said its suspicion that the party was pursuing efforts against the free democratic constitutional order had been confirmed.

The classification would have authorized security services to deploy enhanced surveillance measures, including monitoring communications and recruiting informants to track the party's activities and potential connections to banned extremist organizations.

The AfD challenged the designation in Cologne, where the BfV is headquartered. The intelligence agency subsequently issued a "standstill commitment," agreeing not to publicly refer to the AfD as "a proven extremist organization" pending the court's decision.