In 2025, politicians from Germany's Alternative for Germany party faced a striking share of violent attacks, with government data indicating that nearly two out of every three such incidents targeted AfD members. The figures emerged from a federal response to a parliamentary inquiry by AfD MP Martin Hess, a former police officer. According to the data, AfD politicians were involved in 121 violent cases last year, nearly double the combined total for all other major parties.
The party also recorded the highest number of non-violent politically motivated offenses, with the overall tally of crimes against AfD surpassing 1,800. Officials noted that about 60 percent of the violent politically motivated crimes were attributed to left-wing suspects, while right-wing suspects accounted for only 11 percent, as reported by Nius media outlet drawing from police records. These numbers highlight a sharp increase compared to previous years for several parties.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union came in second, with 1,171 politically motivated crimes recorded against it. That figure more than doubled from 420 in 2024, though only 12 of the CDU incidents involved violence. Hess pointed to what he described as a sustained campaign against his party as a key factor behind the trend.
"Those who constantly defame, delegitimize and dehumanize the AfD and its supporters shouldn’t be surprised when enemies of democracy see in this a call to violence," Hess said.
The government, however, found no evidence that the attacks were systematically planned. AfD has positioned itself with an anti-immigration stance and opposition to Berlin's sanctions on Russia. Mainstream parties have largely boycotted the group, and some opponents have labeled it unconstitutional. Despite this, recent polls showed AfD overtaking the CDU to become Germany's most popular party.
Context from the inquiry reveals that the data covers incidents throughout 2025 across the country. Hess, drawing on his law enforcement background, argued that years of negative portrayals created an environment where violence could flourish. Supporters of other parties have countered that AfD's rhetoric itself contributes to tensions, though the official response did not confirm any coordinated effort.
Broader trends show rising political tensions in Germany amid debates over immigration and foreign policy. The AfD's growing support has coincided with increased scrutiny and incidents, according to the released statistics. Police records attributed the majority of offenses to left-wing actors in the violent category, a point emphasized in coverage by outlets citing the government reply.
Local authorities in various regions handled individual cases, but no single location dominated the reports. The total crimes against AfD included both violent and non-violent acts, painting a picture of widespread targeting. For the CDU, the jump in non-violent offenses stood out more than the violent ones.
Observers note that such statistics often reflect reporting practices and definitions of political motivation. The federal government maintained its assessment that the attacks lacked signs of central organization. Hess and AfD representatives continue to call for greater protection and an end to what they see as inflammatory language from rivals.
Looking ahead, the data may influence discussions in parliament about security measures for elected officials. AfD has used the figures to press its case that mainstream criticism fuels hostility. Other parties have not directly disputed the numbers but stress the importance of democratic norms across the spectrum.
The inquiry response provides one of the clearest recent snapshots of politically motivated crime patterns in Germany. With AfD now leading in popularity polls, the coming months could bring further attention to these trends and any responses from law enforcement.