The far-right “” (AfD) has been the target of intense political criticism, due to allegations of suspicious links with and , with smell . According to a Politico report, German politicians are concerned that AfD officials are using their institutional status and parliamentary tools to extract information potentially useful to Russian intelligence, especially at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions over the war in Ukraine.
The concern intensified after a wave of AfD parliamentary questions in both the Bundestag and regional parliaments, with the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) speaking of an abuse of the parliamentary process. They complain that these questions often focus on sensitive military and security issues, which — if revealed — could be exploited by Moscow both on the Ukrainian front and in the context of a so-called “hybrid war” against Europe.
Millman’s suspicious questions
A special mention goes to Ringo Millman, AfD member of parliament in Thuringia — a state where the party is emerging as a leading political force. Millman has made repeated requests to the local government asking for detailed information on issues such as defense against drones and transfers of Western military equipment to Ukraine through the region. In one of his written questions in September, he asked for detailed data on the volume, type and routes of military transit transport from 2022 onwards.
Earlier in June, he had asked a series of eight questions about the Thuringian police’s ability to detect and deal with drones considered an espionage threat. Among other things, it asked for information on the technical anti-drone systems the authorities have or know about, such as jammers, net launchers or electromagnetic pulse devices, and whether they have been operationally tested.
According to a data analysis by Spiegel magazine, since the beginning of 2020 AfD parliamentary groups in German states have submitted more than 7,000 questions related to security issues — the highest number of any other party and about a third of the total volume of such questions. In Thuringia, where intelligence agencies have labeled the AfD an extremist organization, the party is responsible for nearly 70% of parliamentary questions this term, while in the Bundestag the corresponding percentage exceeds 60%.
Reactions and accusations
These moves caused strong reactions. Thuringia’s interior minister, Georg Mayer (SPD), told the Handelsblatt newspaper that “one can only get the impression that the AfD, through its investigations, is carrying out a list of tasks that serve the interests of the Kremlin.” Speaking to Politico, Mayer said he was struck by the AfD’s strong interest in critical infrastructure and security mechanisms in a state that has no foreign or defense policy.
The AfD has repeatedly adopted pro-Russian rhetoric, advocating the restoration of economic ties with Moscow, the resumption of Russian gas imports and an end to military aid to Ukraine. Political opponents, however, argue that these positions may express not only ideological positioning but also coordination with Russian interests. In November, Greens MP Irene Mihalic called the AfD a “Trojan horse” of Vladimir Putin in Germany.
Accordingly, Mark Heinrichmann, a Christian Democrat lawmaker and chairman of a Bundestag special committee that oversees intelligence services, warned that even if the answers did not contain classified information, the sheer volume and thematic coherence of the questions could allow Russian agencies to piece together critical information. As he said, examining individual questions may not reveal risk, but cumulatively a clear picture emerges of transport routes, military aid and operational practices.
Researcher Jakub Vodreis of the Technical University of Dresden notes that it cannot be ruled out that the AfD is acting either consciously in favor of the Kremlin or simply based on its pro-Russian stance. “However, the result is almost the same,” he underlines, warning that such practices may pose a serious threat to Germany’s national security.
What is the AfD’s response?
The AfD leadership rejects the accusations. The party’s co-chairman, Tino Hroupala, argued that Millman’s questions reflected real concerns of citizens and called the criticisms “deceitfully implied”. Accordingly, Millman himself — a former police officer — has said he is not acting on Russian orders, stressing that it is not his responsibility to limit his questions, but the ministries’ responsibility to judge what information can be given without raising security concerns.
