Politics AfD classified as an extremist organization in Lower Saxony
The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the German state of Lower Saxony has been classified as an extremist organization by the state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
17.02.2026, 12:57
SDA
"The assessment of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is clear: the greatest danger to our society comes from right-wing extremism and the AfD Lower Saxony is clearly classified as belonging to this phenomenon," said Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD). Against this background, the continuation of observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (domestic intelligence service) is the logical consequence.
A right-wing extremist ideology now forms the consensus within the party as a whole and also within the state association. "The anti-constitutional statements and behavior, often expressed in aggressive and confrontational language, shape the character of the party," the ministry said. This character is dominated by a basic tendency to reject the free democratic basic order.
How the AfD is rated in other countries
In four other German federal states, the AfD is rated as definitely right-wing extremist at state level: in Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. In Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had upgraded the AfD to a "confirmed right-wing extremist organization" - but because the party filed a lawsuit against this, it is only listed as a suspected case until a decision is made.
The situation is similar at federal level: in May 2025, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution announced that it would classify the entire AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization. However, due to a lawsuit filed by the AfD, the Federal Office put the classification on hold until the matter had been clarified in court.
AfD in Lower Saxony under observation as a suspected object since 2022
In the north-western German state of Lower Saxony, the AfD has been monitored as a suspected object since 2022. After this classification was extended once for two years in 2024, it was clear that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had to decide by 6 May whether there was sufficient evidence to classify the party as right-wing extremist or whether the observation would be discontinued. The state AfD had always rejected the classification as an object of suspicion as unfounded suspicion.
