Alternative for Germany lawmakers accused of spying for Russia

"Alternative for Germany (AfD) politicians have lodged numerous parliamentary questions seeking details of critical infrastructure, security and military matters, particularly in the eastern state of Thuringia. "The impression is almost unavoidable that the AfD is working through a Kremlin order list with its inquiries," Georg Maier, the interior minister in Thurinigia, told the Handelsblatt newspaper. The anti-EU, anti-migrant party, which has enjoyed a surge in popularity that propelled it to second place in February's national election, rejects the allegations as baseless."

"But several of the party's leading figures maintain close and often controversial ties to Russia, and have been critical of German support for Ukraine in its fight against Moscow. Maier, from the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), the junior partner in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government, alleged that AfD lawmakers have been "abusing" their position to gather sensitive information. It relates to matters such as the police, military and infrastructure that might be of interest to foreign powers, he said."

"He said the AfD had filed 47 such inquiries in Thuringia - where the party is the biggest force but remains in opposition - in the past year alone, and have been posing questions with "increasing intensity and depth of detail". In the Bundestag, Germany's national parliament, AfD lawmakers have also been filing numerous "highly problematic inquiries", apparently at the behest of "authoritarian states", according to Konstantin von Notz, a Green MP and deputy chairman of the legislature's intelligence oversight committee."

AfD lawmakers face allegations they used parliamentary positions to gather sensitive security and infrastructure information potentially useful to Russia. The party filed numerous parliamentary questions targeting critical infrastructure, security and military matters in Thuringia and at the federal level. Georg Maier, Thuringia's interior minister, said the inquiries give the impression of following a "Kremlin order list." Several AfD figures maintain close ties to Russia and have criticised German support for Ukraine. AfD rejects the allegations. Green MP Konstantin von Notz described the Bundestag inquiries as "highly problematic" and suggested they may serve authoritarian states' interests.

Read at The Local Germany