The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the German state of Lower Saxony is classified as an extremist effort by the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
February 17, 2026, 12:50 p.mFebruary 17, 2026, 12:55 p.m
“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, according to the classification, the AfD Lower Saxony can clearly be assigned to this area of phenomena,” 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 secret service) is the logical consequence.
Daniela Behrens.Image: IMAGO / Noah Wedel
A right-wing extremist ideology now forms the consensus within the entire party and also the regional association. “The anti-constitutional statements and behavior, which are often presented in aggressive and confrontational language, shape the character of the party,” the ministry says. This character is dominated by a basic tendency that rejects 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 the 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 “certified right-wing extremist effort” – because the party sued against it, it is only listed as a suspected case until a decision is made.
The situation is similar in the federal government: The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution announced in May 2025 that it would classify the entire AfD as a confirmed right-wing extremist effort. Due to a lawsuit by the AfD, the Federal Office put the classification on hold until it was clarified in court.
AfD observed as a suspected object in Lower Saxony since 2022
In Lower Saxony, northwest Germany, the AfD has been observed as a suspected object since 2022. After this classification was extended once by two years in 2024, it became clear that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had to decide by May 6th whether there was enough evidence to classify it as definitely right-wing extremist or whether the observation would be stopped. The state AfD had always rejected the classification as a suspect as an unfounded suspicion. (hkl/sda/dpa)