Germany’s Spy Agency Cautions Against Voting for Far-Right AfD

Far-right views and positions pose the biggest threat to German democracy and voters should bear this in mind before casting their ballot for the nationalist, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany, AfD) party, according to the country’s domestic spy agency.

Thomas Haldenwang, the chief of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), made the remark at a news conference on Tuesday as he presented the agency’s 2022 annual report.

“[P]arts of the AfD spread hate and agitation against all kinds of minorities in Germany, especially migrants … We see that parts of the AfD also hold and promote an anti-Semitic attitude,” said Haldenwang.

“We see that parts of the AfD are very much influenced by Moscow and continue to spread Russian narratives”, particularly with regards to Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine, Haldenwang added.

“I think these are all circumstances that German voters should bear in mind when making their decision,” he said.

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The AfD is currently polling at 18-20 percent nationwide and is on track to win three state votes in eastern Germany with calls to stop migration and curb what it sees as a costly green agenda.

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