Let me tell you what’s happening in Germany right now – and why the UK should be paying very close attention.
In Germany: The AfD is under heavy surveillance. In May 2025, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency – the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) – officially classified the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) as a “confirmed right-wing extremist endeavour.”
This wasn’t a political hit job. It was based on a 1,100-page report with documented evidence including:
Ethnic-based understanding of “Germanness”
Calls for “remigration” (mass deportation of citizens with migration backgrounds)
Islamophobic and xenophobic statements from party leaders
Links to neo-Nazi groups and extremist organisations
Rejection of democratic principles
Use of Nazi-era terminology like “Umvolkung” (population replacement)
What this classification means:
- The AfD is under constant surveillance
- Intelligence agencies can use informants
- Communications can be monitored
- Civil servants who are AfD members can be dismissed
- Public funding may be restricted
- Courts are considering whether to ban the party entirely
The AfD’s own youth wing was classified as a “confirmed extremist organisation” in 2023.
Several state-level AfD branches are classified as “gesichert rechtsextrem” (confirmed right-wing extremist).
In the UK: Reform gets a free pass
Let’s look at Reform UK:
Leading in the polls (over 30 per cent)
Using the exact same rhetoric as AfD
Calling for mass deportations
Talking about “colonisation by immigrants”
Spreading misinformation about immigration
Links to far-right figures internationally
Attracting defectors with immigrant backgrounds who now push anti-immigrant policies
Creating a “hostile environment” that sparked riots in 2024
What monitoring do they face?
ABSOLUTELY NONE.
No intelligence oversight. No official scrutiny. No accountability.
Instead, they get wall-to-wall BBC coverage.
The media problem:
A Cardiff University study found that between January and September 2025:
BBC News at Ten:
- Reform: 83 references
- Liberal Democrats (18x more MPs): Similar coverage
- Greens (same number of MPs): 12 references
ITV News at 10:
- Reform: 74 references
- Greens: 10 references
- Reform got 7x more coverage than Greens despite having the same number of MPs
Nigel Farage personally:
- Mentioned more than Ed Davey (Lib Dem leader with 18x more MPs)
- Featured as “protagonist” in 38 per cent of stories about Reform
- His press conferences run “all day” on BBC homepage
The Liberal Democrats launched a “Balance the BBC” petition accusing the broadcaster of “following Farage around like a lost puppy.”
Meanwhile:
Full Fact spent 2025 debunking Reform’s lies
- Claims about “swans being eaten by migrants”.
- False immigration statistics.
- Misleading NHS claims.
But the damage is done. By the time lies are fact-checked, they’ve already spread.
The similarities are chilling.
AfD in Germany:
- Talks about “remigration”
- Describes asylum seekers as threats
- Uses völkisch (ethnic) nationalism
- 27 per cent polling support
Reform UK in Britain:
- Promises 650,000 deportations
- Says UK is “colonised by immigrants”
- Wants to abolish settled status
- 30 per cent+ polling support
Both:
- Backed by Trump and his allies
- Climate change deniers
- Want to withdraw from international law
- Scapegoat immigrants for economic problems
- Use disinformation campaigns
- Have links to extremist groups
The critical difference:
Germany learned from history.
After the Nazi regime, Germany created the Verfassungsschutz specifically to monitor threats to democracy – even before they break the law.
The German constitution has “militant democracy” provisions – democracy must defend itself against those who would destroy it.
Britain? We’re acting like this could never happen here.
Where Are UK Authorities?
No domestic intelligence monitoring of Reform
No official classification of extremism
No investigation into misinformation campaigns
No scrutiny of funding sources
No accountability for lies
Instead:
- The BBC platforms them constantly
- Fact-checkers are overwhelmed
- Social media amplifies their message
- Mainstream politicians adopt their rhetoric to “win back voters”
Why this matters
Germany’s Verfassungsschutz isn’t perfect. Trump’s administration is even threatening sanctions against German intelligence officials for monitoring AfD.
But at least Germany is trying to protect democracy.
At least they’re documenting the threat.
At least they’re holding extremism to account.
What’s the UK doing?
Giving Farage a megaphone and pretending this is normal political discourse.
The Questions We Should Be Asking:
Why is there no official monitoring of Reform UK?
Why does the BBC give them disproportionate coverage?
Why aren’t broadcasters held accountable for platforming lies?
Why is no one investigating their funding and international connections?
Why are we normalising far-right rhetoric in the name of “balance”?
Germany’s intelligence services identified the threat. Documented it. Published evidence. Took action.
Britain’s media gives Reform more airtime than parties with 18x more MPs.
This Isn’t Balance. It’s Complicity.
When Germany’s AfD makes extremist statements, they face:
- Legal challenges
- Intelligence monitoring
- Public documentation
- Potential ban proceedings
When Reform’s Farage makes extremist statements, he gets:
- Invited onto Question Time
- His press conference livestreamed all day
- Soft-ball interviews
- Described as “setting the political weather”
We are sleepwalking into disaster
Germany knows what happens when you don’t take far-right extremism seriously. They lived it. They built safeguards to prevent it happening again.
Britain seems determined to learn that lesson the hard way.
By the time we wake up, Reform could be in government.
And unlike Germany, we’ll have no documentation. No evidence trail. No accountability. No defence.
Just the media asking “how did this happen?” while ignoring their role in making it happen.