The far-right AfD has blamed a years-long smear campaign by rival parties and the media.
Almost two out of three violent attacks against politicians in Germany in 2025 targeted members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), government data shows. An MP from the right-wing party blamed the development for what he called a years-long smear campaign.
AfD politicians were targeted in a total of 121 cases last year, almost twice as many as Germany’s other main political parties combined, the federal government said in response to a parliamentary inquiry into AfD lawmaker Martin Hess. The party was also the most frequent target of non-violent political offences, the data suggested. The total number of crimes committed against the AfD in 2025 exceeded 1,800.
About 60% of politically motivated crimes were committed by suspected leftists, the Nius news agency reported, citing police data released by the government. Only 11% of crimes were reported to be linked to right-wing suspects.
Police also recorded 1,171 crimes against Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), making it the second most targeted party when it comes to politically motivated crimes, according to dpa. The number of crimes against the CDU more than doubled compared to 2024, when there were only 420, the statistics show. However, only 12 were violent, Nius reported.
Hess, a congressman and former police officer, blamed it “unacceptable development” on what he called targeted efforts to humiliate his party.
“Those who constantly slander, despise and humiliate the AfD and its supporters should not be surprised when the enemies of democracy see in this a call to violence,” He said. The government maintained that it saw no signs that the attacks against the AfD were “Arranged in order,” according to Nius.
The far-right party claims an anti-immigration platform and opposes Berlin’s sanctions on Russia. It has faced boycotts from Germany’s main parties, and some of its opponents to label that “unconstitutional.” The AfD has however overtaken the CDU in terms of public support, becoming the most popular party in Germany, according to opinion poll last month.
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