Kremlin's alleged role in crafting German far‑right party's agenda

The weekly "Der Spiegel" reported that the Kremlin allegedly crafted the programmatic manifesto of the German far-right party AfD.

According to Der Spiegel's findings in 2022, the Russian government discussed the future of Germany's AfD party and created a manifesto outlining positions on German domestic politics.

The document reportedly portrays Germany in a dire state, highlighting economic woes and societal rifts. Its purpose seemed to be aimed at boosting AfD's polling numbers and securing a majority in elections at every level, according to "Der Spiegel" reported.

One of Vladimir Putin's closest confidants ordered the manifesto in September 2022, and suggestions were made about renaming the party to "United Germany" or "Unity of Germany."

This revelation aligns with suspicions that the far-right Alternative for Germany party is receiving Kremlin backing and funding, as reported by "Spiegel."

The outcome of the manifesto and whether it was delivered to the party remains unclear. Nonetheless, "Spiegel" highlighted that in an October 2022 speech in Gera, Thuringia's AfD leader, Björn Höcke, echoed the manifesto word for word.

His speech purportedly included claims that the destruction of Nord Stream should be viewed as an act of war against Germany, predicting an exodus of investors and a looming "specter of hunger."

As of this report, AfD has not responded to these allegations. These revelations emerge amidst efforts to dismantle Russian agent networks.

"Der Spiegel" also covers the case of AfD Bundestag member Petra Bystron. Bystron allegedly confessed to receiving small packages from pro-Russian media manager Artem Martschewskyj, who is associated with the "Voice of Europe" portal, which is known for disseminating Russian propaganda.

While Bystron maintains that the packages contained no money, unofficial sources from the Czech counterintelligence suggest that the AfD delegate accepted 20,000 euros in cash from a Kremlin envoy.