Germany’s right-wing party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has been accused by centrist parties of collecting data of interest to Russian intelligence.
Prosecutors cited inquiries by AfD lawmaker Ringo Mühlmann in the Thuringian parliament regarding weapons transit to Ukraine and drone defense systems in Germany. Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier said there are strong indications that AfD is following tasks outlined by the Kremlin, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“These were legitimate questions from a member of parliament concerned with citizens’ needs,” the party said, rejecting the accusations.
The party has previously faced scrutiny for its pro-Kremlin stance. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described AfD as “Putin’s German party.” Earlier in 2025, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution labeled AfD an extremist organization due to hostile rhetoric, Nazi slogans, and disregard for the memory of the Holocaust.
Attempts to ban the party legislatively have been opposed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU, even as the Social Democrats (SPD) pushed for a ban.