German state minister accuses AfD of spying for the Kremlin

Georg Maier, the Minister of the Interior of the state of Thuringia, has accused the far-right wing political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) of espionage for Russia. Maier says he has evidence to support his claim.

“We have been observing with increasing concern for some time now that the AfD is abusing the parliamentary right to ask questions to specifically research our critical infrastructure,” Maier told German news outlet Handelsblatt.

Maier, a politician for the Social Democratic Party SPD, states that AfD has made 47 corresponding inquiries in the past twelve months in Thuringia regarding transport and digital infrastructure, as well as water and energy supply.

“The AfD shows particular interest in police IT and equipment, for example, in the area of drone detection and defense. The impression that arises is that the AfD is processing a Kremlin order list with its inquiries,” he told Handelsblatt.

Marc Henrichmann, Chairman of the Secret Service Control Committee in the Bundestag, shares Maier’s concerns.

“Russia is, of course, using its obvious influence in parliament, especially in the AfD, to spy and grab sensitive information. And the AfD is gratefully harnessed to Putin's cart for this betrayal,” he states.

The AfD denies all accusations and says they are “ridiculous.”

German intelligence services have been warning for a long time that Russia is using extremist parties and individuals to gather sensitive information about Germany’s critical infrastructure for its own interests. Because AfD Bundestag member Markus Frohnmaier is planning a trip to Moscow, the intelligence services are voicing their concerns once more.

According to Maier, the problem goes beyond Frohnmaier’s scheduled trip. He claims that Russia attempts to “spread disinformation, delegitimize democratic institutions, obstruct parliamentary procedures, and establish networks with right-wing extremist groups.”

After a lengthy investigation earlier this year, German intelligence agencies concluded that the AfD is becoming increasingly radicalized and is now considered to be far-right.