Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has endorsed a proposal to abolish or fundamentally reform Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, claiming it suppresses political opposition.

Alice Weidel, chairwoman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has publicly supported a proposal to examine the abolition of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Weidel argued that the agency, in its current form, is used to monitor and suppress political opposition rather than functioning as an impartial institution. She emphasized the need for significant reforms or outright dismantling of the agency.

The proposal was initially raised by Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s lead candidate in the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Siegmund suggested that, under an AfD-led state government, the future of the regional branch of the intelligence agency would be reviewed without preconditions. This comes as the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt has been classified by the agency as pursuing confirmed far-right extremist objectives. Despite this designation, the party is leading in polls ahead of the September 6 elections, raising the possibility of an AfD-led government in the eastern German state.

Weidel further criticized the agency’s leadership structure, claiming that its directors are politically appointed and act under the directives of interior ministers, compromising its independence. While she acknowledged the need for a domestic intelligence service, she proposed limiting its scope to areas such as cybersecurity and counterterrorism, explicitly excluding actions against political opposition. The debate over the agency’s role and future is likely to intensify as the AfD gains political momentum in Saxony-Anhalt.