Agency chief says far-right terrorism and extremism are biggest danger to democracy

The chief of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) has described far-right terrorism and extremism as the biggest danger facing democracy in Germany, as his agency put part of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) under formal surveillance.

The most radical rightwingers in the country number 32,000, said Thomas Haldenwang, adding that 13,000 are considered potentially violent.

Björn Höcke halts interview after German state broadcaster draws parallel to Nazi rhetoric

An Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) politician has walked out of an interview and threatened a journalist after he was confronted with parallels between his rhetoric and that of Adolf Hitler.

An interview with Björn Höcke by the state broadcaster ZDF, recorded last week but screened on Sunday, shows the AfD politician threatening “massive consequences” to a journalist who refused to restart an interview after a series of difficult questions.

Exit polls put party second in German state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg

The anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland party made strong gains in two crucial state elections in Germany on Sunday, increasing its support significantly but failing to oust the mainstream parties.

But the sharp shift to the right in Saxony and Brandenburg – AfD came second in both states – is a blow to the ruling coalition of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD), both parties having lost thousands of voters to AfD.

German MPs condemn comments on Eritrean-born man accused of pushing boy in front of train

Germany’s interior minister has called for restraint after far-right politicians sought to exploit for political gain the death of an eight-year-old boy who was pushed in front of a train at Frankfurt station this week.

An Eritrean-born man who lives in Switzerland is accused of pushing the boy and his mother onto the tracks. The mother was able to roll to safety under the platform seconds before a high-speed train hit her son, killing him instantly.