Germany’s next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is poised to take office amid mounting political turmoil over whether the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party should be banned, following its formal designation as “extremist” by the country’s domestic intelligence agency.
Merz, 69, a veteran conservative and multimillionaire former corporate lawyer, will be confirmed as chancellor on Tuesday after his centre-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) formed a governing coalition with the Social Democrats. However, the coalition’s narrow majority may be immediately tested by one of Germany’s most polarizing questions: how to deal with the AfD.
The AfD surged to second place in February’s federal election with 20.8% of the vote and has since grown in popularity, polling around 25%—even with, or in some cases surpassing, the CDU. The controversy escalated last week when the Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the entire party as extremist, citing ethnic nationalist rhetoric and alleged efforts to undermine democratic institutions.
“This is democracy,” Germany’s foreign ministry declared in response to international criticism, insisting that the ruling was the result of “a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law.”
The U.S. reaction has added to the pressure. Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, condemned the classification as “tyranny in disguise,” while Vice-President JD Vance, who has met with AfD leaders, accused the German government of “rebuilding a Berlin Wall against the party.” Berlin has rejected these claims, reaffirming that final decisions rest with independent courts.
The intelligence agency’s unpublished 1,100-page report reportedly accuses the AfD of promoting an exclusionary view of German identity and endorsing xenophobic narratives. A leaked section quoted AfD board member Hannes Gnauck as saying, “each and every one of you has more in common with me than with any Syrian or Afghan.” Another MP, Martin Reichardt, claimed on social media that asylum policies had led to “the 100,000-fold importation of people from deeply backward and misogynistic cultures.”
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, who is in a same-sex marriage with a woman of Sri Lankan heritage, has vowed to challenge the ruling legally, denouncing it as politically motivated interference. Some legal scholars and commentators have echoed this concern, warning that controversial statements alone may not meet the legal threshold for banning a party.
Nonetheless, calls to initiate formal proceedings to outlaw the AfD are growing louder—especially from the political left and some in Merz’s own CDU. Daniel Günther, CDU premier of Schleswig-Holstein, urged the federal government to act swiftly, arguing that democracy must be protected from those who seek to erode it from within.
The stakes are high. Banning a political party in Germany is a complex constitutional process, one that has failed in the past. Such a move would also disenfranchise roughly ten million AfD voters and could inadvertently boost the party’s martyr image, particularly in eastern Germany, where it enjoys strong support.
Merz has previously opposed a ban, arguing instead for a “firewall” between the CDU and AfD. However, critics noted contradictions in his campaign strategy, including his reliance on AfD votes to pass a parliamentary motion against illegal immigration. His new government has pledged to intensify border controls and turn back undocumented migrants beginning May 6.
“Anyone who tries to enter Germany illegally must expect that the German border will be the end of the road,” said Thorsten Frei, the incoming head of the Chancellery.
As Merz prepares to assume power, the AfD question looms large—not only as a legal and constitutional challenge, but as a defining test of how Germany balances democratic values, political dissent, and the legacy of its past.
