Politicians in Germany, especially the Minister of the Interior of the state of Thuringia, Georg Maier, accuse the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of espionage, claiming that it abuses its parliamentary power to obtain information about the country's critical infrastructure, including transport, water, digitalization, and energy. Maier mentioned that AfD has sent 47 inquiries to the state parliament in the last 12 months, with an increased interest in the IT equipment used by the police. The AfD leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, dismissed the accusations, stating that Maier has no evidence and that AfD is fulfilling its constitutional duty to monitor the government.
AfD is the strongest political force in Thuringia, but other parties refuse to collaborate with it due to its ties to the far right. Maier has called for a ban on AfD, emphasizing that the party threatens liberal democracy through its connections with authoritarian regimes. Additionally, members of AfD have been accused of close ties with Russia, and some have had direct contacts with Putin's circle.