US politician against the protection of the constitution: AfD in the sights of criticism!

US politician against the protection of the constitution: AfD in the sights of criticism!

Köln, Deutschland - On May 2, 2023, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution declared the alternative for Germany (AfD) as "secured right -wing extremist". This classification inflamed a storm of media reporting and led to a broad discussion about the political classification of the party. Critics of the decision saw this as a step towards delegitimizing and possibly even to prepare for a prohibition procedure. Political reactions from the United States provided additional explosiveness in the debate, in particular through statements by many prominent politicians and business representatives.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the steps of the German authorities as undemocratic and spoke of a "disguised tyranny". He emphasized that true extremism is not with the AfD, but in Germany's immigration policy and the open limits. These views were also supported by J.D. Vance, the Vice President under Donald Trump, who pointed out that the methods in dealing with the AfD strongly reminded of such authoritarian regimes.

criticism of German politics

On May 7, Senator Tom Cotton asked the US secret of the service to suspend cooperation with the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). Just a day later, the AfD classification was removed as a "secured right -wing extremist" from the website of the constitutional protection. While an administrative court in Cologne gave the AfD a recovery commitment that prohibited the spread of this classification until the court decision, there was an unexpected diplomatic conflict between the United States and Germany. Critics in Germany, such as Hans-Georg Maassen, accused the Federal Government to abuse the protection of the constitution for political purposes.

The Federal Foreign Office rejected Rubios criticized and said that the decision of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution was part of the democracy and the result of a thorough and independent investigation to protect the German constitution and the rule of law. The debate about the classification of the AfD and its political relevance will also be a central topic at the upcoming Interior Ministers' Conference. This was a significant tension between German and American political institutions, since the intervention of American politicians is regarded as a diplomatic turning point.

right -wing extremism in focus

A central concern of the discussion is to combat right -wing extremism in Germany. Politicians are not only faced with the AfD, but also with other right -wing extremist groups. Organizations such as "Combat 18 Germany", "Weisse Wolves Terrorcrew", and "Sturm-/Wolfsbrigade 44" have been banned in recent years, which underlines the efforts of the Federal Ministry of the Interior to ensure public security. The public show and use of certain right -wing extremist symbols and signs is strictly pursued and is punishable according to § 86 and § 86a of the Criminal Code.

The current situation is assessed as historically, especially under the influence of Donald Trump's policy, which is increasingly committed to national sovereignty and bourgeois freedom. Elon Musk, the US tech billionaire, also commented on Pro AfD and described a ban on the party as an extreme attack on democracy. The connection of these international political discourses shows the deep cracks in the perception of right -wing extremism and democracy in both Germany and the USA.