Berlin hits back over US ‘tyranny in disguise’ claim

The German foreign ministry has rejected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks that it was wrong to brand the AfD party as extremist

Germany’s foreign ministry has rejected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s claim that Berlin’s designation of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as extremist amounted to “tyranny in disguise.”

Rubio on Friday criticized Germany’s domestic security service (BfV) for branding the AfD as a “confirmed extremist entity” and called on Berlin to reverse the move. The foreign ministry responded by saying “this is democracy,” and defended the move as a measure to protect the rule of law.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said, as quoted by AFP, that “the insinuations contained (in Rubio’s comments) are certainly unfounded.” 

Rubio has said that it is not the AfD that is extremist, but rather the “establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies,” which the German party opposes.

The BfV has previously warned of a threat to the country’s democratic order, saying the AfD’s anti-immigration party “disregards human dignity.” The party has rejected the classification, calling it unlawful.

The party was founded in 2013 amid a backlash against Germany’s handling of the eurozone debt crisis. It has since shifted focus to demanding tighter immigration and asylum laws and opposing the “woke agenda.” The party is also critical of NATO and has staged protests against sending weapons to Ukraine.

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The AfD finished second in the federal elections in February, winning 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag. Last month, it topped opinion polls for the first time, with 26% support.

The BfV’s classification allows authorities to conduct surveillance on the party without restrictions.

On Monday, the AfD filed a lawsuit with an administrative court in Cologne, where the BfV is headquartered, according to DPA news agency.

The court challenge comes as Christian Democrat Friedrich Merz, whose party won the February elections, is set to be chosen as Germany’s chancellor, replacing Olaf Scholz. Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU union and the Social Democrats (SPD) party signed a coalition deal on Monday, clearing the way for a new government to be sworn in on Tuesday.