In a shocking escalation, Germany’s ruling elites are weaponizing the domestic intelligence service, the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), to crush the meteoric rise of Alice Weidel’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party. With the AfD surging to first place in recent polls—boasting up to 25% support ahead of the Christian Democrats—the establishment is pulling out all stops to derail the far-right juggernaut before it reshapes Germany’s political landscape. But is this a desperate bid to cling to power or a genuine defense of democracy?
The BfV, long accused of bending to the will of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats and their coalition allies, slapped the AfD with an “extremist” label on May 2, 2025, after a three-year probe. The designation, backed by a 1,000-page report, cites the party’s “xenophobic, anti-minority, Islamophobic” rhetoric, granting authorities sweeping powers to wiretap, infiltrate, and monitor AfD activities.
Critics, including Weidel (X profile), scream foul, calling it a “politically motivated” witch hunt to smear the opposition. “This is a heavy blow to democracy!” Weidel thundered, vowing a legal fight. Posts on X echo her fury, with some alleging the BfV operates as a tool of Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s left-wing agenda.
Weidel, a former Goldman Sachs economist and openly gay mother, has galvanized AfD’s base with her fiery anti-immigration stance, doubling the party’s vote share to 21% in the February 2025 election. Her unlikely alliance with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who hosted her in Budapest and hailed her as “the future of Germany,” has only fueled her momentum. Orbán, reveling in the AfD’s success, crowed on X: “The people of Germany voted for change in immense numbers!” His embrace signals a growing far-right axis, rattling Europe’s liberal order.
Across the Atlantic, U.S. figures are diving into the fray. Tech titan Elon Musk, a vocal AfD cheerleader, congratulated Weidel post-election, reposting Orbán’s praise.
BaVikto ck on democracy (Elon Musk on X)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed Germany’s intelligence crackdown, urging Berlin to “reverse course” on surveillance.
Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise. (US State Secretary Marco Rubio on X)
The AfD’s rise, rooted in eastern Germany’s discontent and fueled by economic woes and migration fears, has shattered taboos. Yet, the establishment’s iron fist—backed by protests and warnings from Jewish leaders about AfD’s neo-Nazi echoes—shows no sign of relenting. As Weidel battles the “deep state,” the question looms: will Germany’s voters rally behind her defiance, or will the ruling parties’ gambit succeed in quashing the far-right surge? One thing’s certain: the fight for Germany’s soul is on, and it’s uglier than ever.
