A German court has issued a temporary injunction preventing the nation's domestic intelligence service from labeling the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party as "right-wing extremist." The far-right party had contested the classification, and the court in Cologne has temporarily halted the use of the term pending a final decision.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel called the interim ruling a "major victory for democracy and the rule of law." The AfD secured 20.8% of the vote in the last federal elections, winning 152 seats. A designation as an extremist group can grant authorities expanded surveillance powers. The party was already under observation for suspected extremism.