BERLIN 

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency BfV started to monitor its former President Hans-Georg Maassen because of his suspected far-right activities, media reports said Wednesday.

Maassen has long been a controversial figure and was sent into early retirement by the previous government in 2018, following his open criticism of the government’s migration policy.

Germany's Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or BfV, is monitoring Maassen as a suspected right-wing extremist, due to his meetings with far-right figures in recent years and his publications that are widely shared by far-right groups, according to public broadcaster, ARD.

Maassen announced two weeks ago his decision to leave the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and found a new right-wing party, Werteunion (Values Union).