German Chancellor Freidrich Merz has told President Trump and the United States to “stay out” of his country’s politics.
The country’s intelligence agency confirmed last week that it had classified the conservative Alternative for Germany party as a “proven right-wing extremist organization” because of their opposition to mass immigration and progressive ideology.
In a post on the X platform, Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed German authorities for their continued crackdown against their political opposition.
He wrote:
Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise.
What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes.
Germany should reverse course.
This triggered a response from the German Foreign Office, who claim they are merely protecting democracy and preventing the rise of another Nazi Germany:
This is democracy. This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law.
It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped.
Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise.
What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD—which took second in the recent election—but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) May 2, 2025
This is democracy. This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law. It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped.
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) May 2, 2025
Merz, who was confirmed as German chancellor this week, has also weighed in on the issue.
In comments reported by The Guardian, Merz slammed “absurd observations” from the U.S. about his government, adding that he “would like to encourage the American government … to largely stay out of” German domestic politics.
The CDU leader added that America should “clearly distinguish between extremist parties and parties of the political centre”.
He also argued that he “did not interfere in the American election campaign,” even though he was secretly gunning for a victory for Kamala Harris.
The designation of AfD, which came second in the recent federal elections, by Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) marks a shift from suspicion to a formal designation of extremist activity.
While it does not explicitly prevent the party or bar it from participating in elections, it does authorize broader surveillance measures that may hamper its future success.
Among the powers granted to authorities include the deployment of undercover operatives and intercepting communications as part of intensified monitoring efforts.
Later today Merz and Germany backtracked on spying on the opposition party Afd.
The post German Chancellor Freidrich Merz Tells Trump to ‘Stay Out’ of His Country’s Politics — Before Germany Backtracks on Spying on AfD appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.