United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Credit: Department of State)

By  Gary  Raynaldo     – DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday blasted Germany for labeling the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as “extremist”. The classification would allow German authorities to conduct surveillance of the opposition political party.   Rubio accused Germany of “tyranny in disguise” in a tweet posted on X. “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,” Rubio wrote.  Vice President J.D. Vance joined in the criticism, taking to X accusing Germany of rebuilding a “Berlin Wall” with the classification.  Vance wrote: “The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany. Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it. The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt—not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment.”

Germany’s foreign office directly responded to Rubio on X, writing:  “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.”

The AfD staunchly denies it is an extremist party, calling the classification a “severe blow to German democracy”.  AfD’s party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla claimed the move was politically motivated.  Vice President Vance met with Weidel during a visited to Munich, nine days before a German election in which the AfD finished second. The party won a record 152 parliament seats after receiving nearly 21 percent of the vote.  Elon Musk in January livestreamed on his social media platform X a chat with Weidel, the party’s candidate for chancellor in February’s election.

Writing on X, Weidel said of the extremist classification: “The spy agency works for the ruling government, which is responsible for illegal mass migration, sky-rocketing criminal rates, highest taxes, highest energy prices. Since the AfD is the strongest party in polls now, they want to suppress the opposition & freedom of speech.”