The AfD Classification and Germany’s Attack on Freedom of Speech

Germany’s classification of the AfD as a “right-wing extremist party” by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been sharply criticized by the US government. Many voices in Germany and Austria are also criticizing the decision, calling it a political maneuver, an attack on freedom of expression, and a serious state crisis of civil rights. This puts Chancellor Friedrich Merz under pressure. The AfD can only benefit from all of this, especially given the weak coalition of the CDU/CSU and the SPD.