TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Nearly half of German citizens support a ban on the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party after the country’s domestic intelligence agency officially labeled it a "far-right extremist" organization, according to a recent survey.
The poll, conducted by the Insa Institute for the German weekly Bild am Sonntag, found that 48 percent of respondents are in favor of banning the AfD.
The survey, which interviewed 1,001 people between May 2 and 3, also showed that 37 percent oppose the idea, while 15 percent remain undecided.
Additionally, 61 percent of respondents view the AfD as a "far-right extremist party."
For the majority, 79 percent, the intelligence agency’s classification did not alter their existing opinion of the AfD. However, about 10 percent said their views changed following the warning from the authorities.
Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the country’s domestic intelligence agency, officially designated the AfD as an "extremist group" last Friday following a three-year investigation.
The BfV concluded that the AfD promotes a nationalist and far-right agenda that threatens the democratic constitutional order of Germany. It stated that the party’s "dominant understanding of people based on ethnicity and descent" contradicts the principles of German democracy.
The agency also accused the AfD of advocating for the exclusion of certain groups, particularly those with migrant backgrounds from Muslim-majority countries, from full participation in society.
The AfD, long known for its anti-immigrant stance, was first placed under surveillance in 2019. In 2021, it was categorized as a "suspected extremist group," a designation later upheld by German courts.
The BfV's latest decision now classifies the entire party as "proven extremists," a label previously applied only to its regional branches in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. This expanded classification enables greater state surveillance of the party.
AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla condemned the move, calling it a "severe blow to German democracy" and pledged to pursue legal action.
In a joint statement, they said that the AfD would continue to defend itself through legal means against what they described as a defamation that endangers democracy.
The BfV’s decision comes amid growing public concern about far-right extremism in Germany and the AfD’s rising popularity. Recent polls show that the party now enjoys 26 percent support, positioning it as the country’s leading political force.
Despite increasing calls to outlaw the AfD, political leaders remain cautious. On Friday, Chancellor-in-waiting Olaf Scholz advised against rushing into a ban and emphasized that the Constitutional Court maintains strict criteria for such actions.
He said that any petition would require careful preparation and must be based on the court’s past rulings.
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