Germany set to spy on far right party as extremism fears grow

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency says it is formally placing parts of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) party under surveillance after classifying it as extremist.

Thomas Haldenwang, head of Germany’s BFV intelligence agency, said a radical faction within the AFD known as “The Wing” was considered a proven extremist organisation.

The Wing is led by Afd’s regional chiefs in the eastern states of Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, and Brandenburg, Andreas Kalbitz.

Hoecke is well known for his far-right positions.

The region notoriously called Berlin’s memorial to the victims of the Nazi Holocaust a “monument of shame”.

Mr Haldenwang described Mr Hoecke and Mr Kalbitz as “right-wing extremists”.

He noted Mr Hoecke’s antiislam and anti-immigrant rhetoric and close ties to other known extremists.

“This is a warning to all enemies of democracy,” he said, citing Germany’s grim Nazi past as a warning.

“We stand together and act.” Mr Haldenwang added: “We know from German history that far-right extremism hasn’t just destroyed human lives, it destroyed democracy.

“Far right extremism and far-right terrorism are currently the biggest danger for democracy in Germany.”

The party immediately criticised the move.

Putting The Wing under surveillance increases pressure on the party and could strengthen calls for it to be banned.

Civil servants who are members of The Wing could face scrutiny and even disciplinary measures.

Describing The Wing as an extremist organisation, the domestic intelligence service (BFV) said the faction had about 7,000 members or 20 per cent of the AFD membership.

The AFD is the biggest opposition party in Germany. It has 91 seats in the 709-seat Bundestag and is present in all the regional parliaments.

Calls to place the entire party under observation had grown louder after a series of farright terrorist attacks linked to the kind of rhetoric embraced by the party.

Last month, a gunman murdered nine people with immigrant roots in the south-western city of Hanau.

The killer was named by police as 43-year-old Tobias R.

The Bild newspaper reported the gunman had expressed extreme right-wing views in a letter of confession he left behind.

A video in which he explained his motives was believed to be part of a police investigation.

In January, the neo-nazi group Combat 18 had been separately banned in Germany.

Activists’ homes were raided by police.