Espionage allegations have been made against Alternative for Germany (AfD) by the interior minister of the state of Thuringia. in an interview with HandelsblattSocial Democrat (SPD) Georg Meier expressed concern that the AfD was abusing its parliamentary powers to gather information about Germany’s transport infrastructure, water supply, digital infrastructure and energy supply.
“From its requests, one gets the impression that the AfD is working through a list of tasks assigned by the Kremlin,” Meier told the newspaper this week.
He pointed out that the Thuringian branch of the AfD has submitted 47 such investigations to the state parliament in the last 12 months alone – and “with increasing intensity and depth of detail.”
“The AfD is particularly interested in IT and the tools used by the police, for example in the field of drone detection and defence,” Meier said. Equipment used in civil protection, health care and Bundeswehr activities is also the subject of inquiry.
In Germany, the mini-interrogation (literally “small inquiry”) is an official parliamentary instrument to help parties obtain information from both the federal and state governments that is not publicly available. These are mainly used by opposition parties that do not have direct access to ministries and officials of the government apparatus. Governments must respond to inquiries in writing.
In Thuringia, the AfD’s state and parliamentary group leader is Björn Hocke, who is classified by security authorities as a confirmed right-wing extremist. Hoke had previously been convicted of using a banned slogan from the Nazi era.
AfD – Praise for Putin’s Russia
Hoke has repeatedly praised President Vladimir Putin’s Russia in the past. In a YouTube conversation with AfD politician Maximilian Krah following the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine in January 2023, he said: “Today, whether the mainstream media wants to hear it or not, Russia not only has negative connotations – it is also a country that some hope can be a champion for a world of independent and sovereign states without hegemonic influence.”
Hocke has vehemently rejected the SPD interior minister’s allegations. In a statement on his Facebook account he accused Mair of being a problem with the rule of law.
“He has no evidence to prove his claims. He is troubled by the fact that the opposition is performing its constitutional duty: monitoring the work of the government and, if necessary, criticizing it.” Hawke said questions asked of ministries on various issues also help prepare the AfD for taking on government responsibilities.
Hoecke said his AfD parliamentary group was considering filing a defamation complaint against the interior minister, and he called on Thuringian state Prime Minister Mario Voigt to fire Meier.
The AfD is the strongest political force in Thuringia. However, due to its proven ties to the far right, all other parties have refused to form a coalition with it. Since last year, the small state has been ruled by a coalition of conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance.
Bundestag: fear of betrayal of state secrets
But Maier has also received support from within the federal parliament, the Bundestag. CDU member Mark Heinrichmann, chairman of the Bundestag’s intelligence oversight committee, told the RND news network: “I firmly believe that Putin is using the AfD as a compliance tool and that the party leadership – even if it claims the contrary – has no power to prevent this type of betrayal.”
Heinrichmann pointed out that, due to the same concerns, AfD MPs were not elected to the Bundestag’s parliamentary oversight committee. This committee meets exclusively in secret and is responsible for monitoring the work of the federal intelligence services.
The AfD has repeatedly been accused of having close ties to Russia, and several AfD members of the Bundestag have maintained close contacts with Putin’s circle in the past. AfD Bundestag member Jan Nolte used to write for the Russian propaganda newspaper Izvestia,
Similarly, Markus Frohnmaier, vice-chairman of the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, was part of the organizing team of the 2018 Yalta International Economic Forum, which was supported by the Russian government and the Russian secret service FSB. In October 2025, Frohnmayer announced his intention to travel to Moscow for political talks. Several other party officials have made headlines in the past with statements downplaying Russia’s war against Ukraine.
For all these reasons, Mair also wants to include “the issue of treason” in any proposal to ban the party.
“The AfD is not only hostile to the Constitution because of its nationalist ideology, but also threatens our liberal democracy through its ties to authoritarian systems,” he said.
This article was originally written in German.
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