German secret service document highlights far-right party’s xenophobic, anti-Islamic stance
AfD portrays migrants as a ‘threatening collective,’ according to the intelligence agency report
BERLIN
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BFV) report highlighted the far-right Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) strong xenophobic and anti-Islamic stance, according to local media on Thursday.
The BfV report referred to "ongoing agitation" against migrants, refugees, and Muslims by party officials. The AfD portrays migrants as a "threatening collective."
According to Der Spiegel news magazine, the report attributed an "increased propensity for violence" to entire groups because of their origins. The report, which runs to approximately 400 pages, contains nationalist, racist, anti-minority, and anti-Muslim statements by party officials.
The report pointed also to a statement by AfD leader Alice Weidel at a campaign event in the eastern town of Werder in mid-September 2024 where she claimed a "religious war against the German population," is being waged on German streets.
The BfV report coincides with mounting concerns about right-wing extremism in Germany and the AfD's surging popularity. Recent polls show the party has reached an unprecedented 26% support, positioning it as Germany's leading party.
The AfD has built its support base through anti-migration campaigns and by stoking fears about Muslims and immigrants. The party has also capitalized on growing frustration and dissatisfaction with traditional political parties and anxieties about economic decline.
