German Security Agencies Weigh Information Curbs After Far-Right and Far-Left Poll Gains

German security authorities are debating whether to limit the confidential information they share with state governments, following recent electoral successes by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the far-left Left Party.

The discussion gained urgency after the AfD came close to an absolute majority in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, and the Left Party finished first in Berlin on September 20. Senior figures in the ruling coalition say both parties could pose risks to sensitive intelligence.

In Germany's federal system, states run their own domestic intelligence agencies under local government control. These agencies cooperate with each other and with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). Politicians from rival parties and former security officials fear that if these agencies fall under ministers from the far right or far left, classified material could reach Moscow or, in Berlin's case, groups under investigation for suspected organised crime links.

"This concerns information relating to organised crime – that would be an issue in Berlin," said Alexander Hoffmann, head of the parliamentary group of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU). "And it's about issues concerning Russia – that would be Saxony-Anhalt," he said.

The AfD rejects accusations of being effectively allied to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it seeks only to avoid war and opposes German military support for Ukraine. A party spokesperson said the government was "clutching at straws in an attempt to discredit us in the eyes of the electorate," adding that years of speculation had produced no evidence.

The Left Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its leaders have previously said any association with what German police identify as clan structures within Kurdish, Lebanese and Palestinian communities in Berlin involved in organised crime is unacceptable. The party also firmly rejects accusations of antisemitism, which often accompany claims of such links.

Hendrik Wuest, the CDU state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, earlier this month called for a special federal and state committee to consider how to handle information-sharing with an AfD-led government. A security official, speaking anonymously, said preparations are under way but that it remains unclear whether the AfD and the Left Party will actually form governments.

Despite its strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD fell short of an absolute majority and faces limited coalition options because other main parties have ruled out working with it. The Left Party is likely to attempt a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats and the environmental Greens, both of which have demanded action to eliminate antisemitism from its ranks.

Several AfD state branches have been designated as far-right extremist groups by domestic security authorities, prompting the party to accuse the intelligence services of political interference. Officials are also concerned that security personnel involved in investigating the AfD could be targeted by a future AfD-led administration.

While tensions between political parties and security services have surfaced before, the prospect of systematic exclusion from information-sharing underlines the depth of the division. Along with the BfV, other security services and state governments are considering restrictions, though officials say they would not want to cut off all information-sharing, citing issues such as indications of potential terrorist attacks.

Left Party representatives argue that terms like "clan-related crime" often stigmatise entire ethnic communities and that contacts with local residents do not imply support for criminal activity. Like the AfD, the party has long been suspicious of the BfV. Its Berlin campaign programme called for the Berlin state agency to be abolished and replaced with "a transparent, democratically controlled body that is close to the people."

However, one Left Party member of the federal parliament has acknowledged social media contacts with a member of an extended family in Berlin accused of involvement with criminal groups. Ferat Kocak said in a post on X that he would "take the time to dispel any doubts" and "review my communication style," adding: "There is absolutely no justification for elected representatives having contacts with individuals associated with organised crime."