EXTREMISMGermany's Domestic Intelligence Service Battles Far-Right AfD
Germany’s domestic intelligence service is again facing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in court this week. Its job is to safeguard the democratic principles set out in the Basic Law.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence service, argues that the populist far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is anti-constitutional. It therefore classified it as a “suspected case” in 2021.
The party took legal action against this at the Cologne Administrative Court, but was unsuccessful. The appeal subsequently lodged by the AfD will be heard by the Münster Higher Administrative Court on March 12 and 13, 2024.
The appeal proceedings draw attention to a state organization that acts as an early warning system to detect threats to democracy and is one of the most important intelligence agencies in Germany. It gathers intelligence while coordinating information gathered by the 16 state-level intelligence agencies.
Germany has several intelligence organizations that collect information for the federal and state governments. At a federal level, these include the Military Counterintelligence Service, or Militärischer Abschirmdienst (MAD), and the Federal Intelligence Service, or Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), which is responsible for foreign intelligence.
The BfV has no executive power, but it collects and evaluates information on anti-democratic movements and individuals and espionage activities, which is then passed on to the government — specifically the Interior Ministry. The government can then trigger police action, if necessary, or even ban political organizations, a move that must be voted on in parliament.
The police forces in the 16 states are tasked with averting specific threats, while the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Federal Police are responsible for border protection.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence service, argues that the populist far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is anti-constitutional. It therefore classified it as a “suspected case” in 2021.
The party took legal action against this at the Cologne Administrative Court, but was unsuccessful. The appeal subsequently lodged by the AfD will be heard by the Münster Higher Administrative Court on March 12 and 13, 2024.
The appeal proceedings draw attention to a state organization that acts as an early warning system to detect threats to democracy and is one of the most important intelligence agencies in Germany. It gathers intelligence while coordinating information gathered by the 16 state-level intelligence agencies.
Germany has several intelligence organizations that collect information for the federal and state governments. At a federal level, these include the Military Counterintelligence Service, or Militärischer Abschirmdienst (MAD), and the Federal Intelligence Service, or Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), which is responsible for foreign intelligence.
