Rubio Blasts Germany’s Far-Right Crackdown, Sparks Diplomatic Spat on X

A sharp transatlantic clash erupted Friday on X (formerly Twitter) as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Germany of veering toward “tyranny in disguise” after its intelligence agency designated the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as extremist.

Rubio, recently named interim national security adviser, criticized Berlin for granting its domestic intelligence agency expanded powers to surveil AfD, a controversial party that has surged in popularity—especially in eastern Germany.

“Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition,” Rubio posted. “That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise.”

He went further, claiming that the real danger isn’t AfD, but what he called the German establishment’s “deadly open-border immigration policies,” which AfD has fiercely opposed. He urged Germany to reverse course.

The post quickly drew a sharp rebuke from the German Foreign Office.

“This is democracy,” the official German account fired back. “This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law. Independent courts will have the final say.”

Germany doubled down, citing historical lessons on the dangers of right-wing extremism.

“We have learnt from our history that right-wing extremism needs to be stopped,” the Foreign Office added.

Rubio wasn’t alone in his criticism. Vice President JD Vance also weighed in on X, defending AfD and slamming what he described as bureaucratic overreach.

“The AfD is the most popular party in Germany, and by far the most representative of East Germany. Now the bureaucrats try to destroy it,” Vance wrote, echoing Rubio’s post.

“The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt—not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment.”

Vance previously met with AfD leadership in Munich earlier this year, underscoring a growing alignment between elements of the U.S. right and Europe’s far-right movements. At the Munich Security Conference in February, Vance accused European leaders of abandoning free speech and retreating from post-Cold War values.

“In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat,” he said in remarks that drew strong criticism from European officials.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has defended its classification of AfD, warning the party poses a threat to democratic order. According to the Associated Press, the agency said the AfD promotes unconstitutional discrimination and views German citizens with Muslim migration backgrounds as inferior.

Despite AfD’s growing support—coming in second in recent elections—the party has been widely condemned for its anti-immigrant rhetoric, and one of its top leaders, Björn Höcke, was convicted in 2024 for publicly using banned Nazi slogans.

AfD officials have condemned the extremist label, claiming political persecution.