"Alternative for Germany" behaves like a German party of Vladimir Putin, stated the head of the German Ministry of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, to Das Handelsblatt. "I can understand when its behavior is called treason," he said.
The far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) "openly demonstrates its closeness" to the President of Russia and "behaves like a German party" of Vladimir Putin. This was stated by the head of the German Ministry of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, in an interview published by the German newspaper Das Handelsblatt on Sunday, October 26.
"Such a position fuels suspicions that there is something more than just sympathy," Dobrindt said.
The Interior Minister of Thuringia: AfD is Carrying Out Kremlin Tasks
The Minister of the Interior of the federal state of Thuringia, Georg Maier, stated to Das Handelsblatt on October 22 that AfD is abusing its right to parliamentary inquiries to deliberately gather information about the country’s transport and digital infrastructure, as well as water and energy supply. "It creates the impression that AfD is carrying out a list of tasks from the Kremlin with its inquiries," Maier said.
"In the case of a party that so openly supports Putin, it is not surprising that such suspicions are expressed," noted Dobrindt. "Individual investigations into members or employees of AfD reinforce these suspicions. How deep these connections are should be clarified by the investigative authorities," he emphasized.
Dobrindt: I Understand Accusations of Treason
Deputy Chairman of the AfD faction in the Bundestag, Markus Frohnmaier, participated in the organization of the "Yalta International Economic Forum" in 2018, which was supported by the Russian authorities. In October 2025, Frohnmaier announced his intention to visit Moscow for political negotiations.
"The leadership of AfD must prohibit this trip. Everything else should be considered treason," stated Martin Huber, Secretary General of the Christian Social Union (CSU), in an interview with the dpa agency on October 14.
In a conversation with Das Handelsblatt, Dobrindt commented on this situation: "AfD defends Putin's aggressive war, ignores violations of international law, and calls itself patriotic. But true patriots love their country and do not question the right of other peoples to self-determination." "Thus, AfD is not a patriotic party, but a party of Putin. Personally, I can understand when its behavior is called treason," emphasized the head of the German Ministry of the Interior.
Does Not Consider a Ban on AfD Appropriate
Members of the far-right party have been excluded from the Bundestag Committee for the Control of Intelligence Activities due to possible security risks, Das Handelsblatt reminded.
"In any case, I find it unlikely that AfD deputies visit the Russian embassy just to have coffee," Dobrindt added. He clarified that he has created a working group involving federal states that is preparing for possible consequences of a judicial approval of classifying AfD as a "confirmed right-wing extremist organization." This will involve a number of provisions regarding weapon possession, official rights, and security checks.
"The procedure for a ban is clearly not the topic of this working group. I also do not consider it politically appropriate. AfD would feel that its claims of being a victim are confirmed and would benefit from this. I do not want to give AfD such a success," summarized the interlocutor of Das Handelsblatt.
Parliamentary Inquiries of the Far-Right
Earlier, the head of the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior reported that in the past year alone, deputies from the state parliament of "Alternative for Germany" submitted 47 inquiries - and, in the minister's words, "with increasing intensity and detail." "AfD shows particular interest in police IT equipment and technology, for example, in the field of detecting and repelling drones," Maier explained. In addition, the subjects of the parliamentary inquiries include technical means and resources used for population protection, as well as healthcare and the activities of the Bundeswehr.
The Thuringian branch of AfD, which is led by Björn Höcke, has been recognized by the state office for the protection of the constitution as definitively right-wing extremist. Höcke himself has repeatedly been held accountable for using banned slogans from the Nazi period.
Höcke sharply rejected the accusations from the head of the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior. In a statement published on his Facebook page, he accused Georg Maier of having problems with the rule of law. "He has no evidence for these claims. He is concerned that the opposition is fulfilling its constitutional task: controlling the government's work and, if necessary, criticizing it," Höcke wrote.
