Senior officials in Germany have raised serious allegations against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, suggesting that it is deliberately misusing its parliamentary powers to gather and potentially share sensitive information with Russia regarding the country’s military capabilities and critical infrastructure.
According to German newspaper Der Spiegel, AfD representatives have been systematically submitting numerous inquiries to the government. These requests focus on military transport operations, countermeasures against drones, cyber defense strategies, and vulnerabilities within essential infrastructure systems. Authorities express concern that this information could be transmitted to Russian entities, raising alarm about national security risks.
Georg Maier, the Interior Minister of Thuringia, asserted that the party exploits its parliamentary rights to probe into the nation’s critical infrastructure, indicating a possible agenda aligned with Kremlin interests. Maier accused the AfD of operating in a manner that raises suspicions of acting on behalf of foreign adversaries.
Thomas Röwekamp, Chair of the Bundestag’s Defence Committee, echoed these sentiments, noting that the specificity and detail of the AfD’s inquiries are beyond what would typically be warranted for routine parliamentary oversight. He warned that such detailed investigations might help foreign states, particularly Russia, identify gaps in Germany’s defense systems.
Officials within the Federal Ministry of Defence have reportedly shuffled concerns regarding the situation, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius agreeing with suspicions that the AfD’s inquiries might be a strategic effort to pinpoint vulnerabilities within the country’s military infrastructure.
The party’s inquiries have been particularly fixated on drones, cyber defense, and the stability of government data centers during crises. Questions posed by the AfD have the potential to expose sensitive operational details, such as the number of data centers operated by the Interior Ministry and the robustness of their defenses against cyber threats—valuable intelligence that could be highly advantageous to Russian hacking groups and military analysts.
Coalition parties in the Bundestag have noted potential connections between the AfD and the Russian embassy in Berlin. Minister Maier further alluded to the party’s interactions with not just Russia but China as well. Jens Spahn, leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, emphasized the gravity of suspicions that elected representatives might be serving a hostile state’s interests, warning that AfD leader Alice Weidel could be seen as complicit in treason if she does not provide a credible explanation for these inquiries.
In a related context, it was revealed that AfD members Steffen Kotré and Rainer Rothfuß are planning a trip to Sochi, Russia, in mid-November, and deputy chairman Markus Frohnmaier has intentions to visit Moscow in 2026. Additionally, three AfD MPs participated in Vladimir Putin’s birthday celebration hosted at the Russian embassy in Berlin earlier, further raising eyebrows about the party’s foreign affiliations.
The unfolding situation may reflect broader concerns regarding political parties’ accountability and transparency in a climate increasingly scrutinized for foreign interference and national security implications. The current discourse underlines the importance of vigilance toward potential threats to democratic institutions and the integrity of national defense strategies.