U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance accused “bureaucrats” of rebuilding the Berlin Wall, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the accusation, calling it “a disguised tyranny.”
Germany’s Foreign Ministry took the unusual step of responding directly to Rubio on X: “We have learned from our history that far-right extremism must be stopped.”
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, found that the ethnic-based view of identity widespread within the AfD contradicts Germany’s free democratic order.
In the February federal elections, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came in second, securing a record 152 of 630 seats with 20.8% of the vote. The BfV had previously classified the party as far-right in three eastern states, but now this designation applies nationwide.
The BfV stated that AfD “seeks to exclude certain population groups from equal participation in society,” particularly noting that the party does not regard citizens from predominantly Muslim countries as equal members of the German nation.
Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla said the decision was “clearly politically motivated” and “a serious blow to German democracy.” Deputy faction leader Beatrix von Storch told the BBC it showed how “an authoritarian state treats opposition parties.”
The new classification gives authorities expanded powers, including surveillance, communication interception, and the use of undercover agents.
Marco Rubio responded on X: “This isn’t democracy — it’s disguised tyranny.” Germany’s Foreign Ministry replied simply: “This is democracy,” emphasizing the decision followed an “independent and thorough investigation” and could be appealed.
The statement stressed the need to confront radicalism, referencing the tragic history of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust.
J.D. Vance, who met with Alice Weidel in Munich nine days before the election and voiced support for AfD at the Munich Security Conference, claimed “bureaucrats” were trying to destroy the party. “The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And now it has been rebuilt — not by the Soviets or Russians, but by the German establishment,” he wrote on X.
The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, divided East and West Berlin for nearly 30 years during the Cold War.
The new designation has reignited calls to ban the AfD ahead of a parliamentary vote to confirm CDU leader Friedrich Merz as chancellor. He is expected to lead a coalition with the center-left SPD.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, seen as a likely vice chancellor and finance minister, said the government would not rush the decision but would consider banning the AfD.