Washington DC [US], May 4 (ANI): A decision by Germany to allow its spy agency to monitor opposition groups has sparked a conflict between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Germany's Foreign Ministry. Rubio criticised the move, calling it 'tyranny in disguise.'

In contrast, Germany's Foreign Ministry defended the measure, emphasising its commitment to protecting the Constitution and the rule of law, stating that the move followed a thorough investigation and said that 'rightwing extremism needs to be stopped.'

In a post on X on Friday, Marco Rubio said, 'Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That's not democracy--it's tyranny in disguise. 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.'

https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1918344238468649055

Replying to Rubio's statement, German's Foreign Ministry said, '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.'

https://x.com/GermanyDiplo/status/1918397874687361199

Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz, or the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the country's intelligence agency, in a statement on Friday said, 'As of today, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) classifies the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor due to the extremist nature of the entire party, which disregards human dignity.'

'The party's prevailing understanding of the people based on ethnicity and descent is incompatible with the free democratic basic order. It aims to exclude certain population groups from equal participation in society, subject them to unconstitutional discrimination, and thus assign them a legally devalued status. Specifically, for example, the AfD does not consider German citizens with a migration history from predominantly Muslim countries to be equal members of the German people, as defined ethnically by the party,' the statement added

According to NBC News, AfD, whose staunch supporters include Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk, was already under surveillance for suspected extremism by Germany's intelligence services, which on Friday classified the party as a 'proven right-wing extremist organisation.'

The AfD's strong performance in Germany's February general elections--where it secured second place--reflects the broader rise of far-right movements across Europe, many of which have established close relations with President Trump's circle. (ANI)