A Munich court is to hear a case on Tuesday regarding a challenge by the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party against the Bavarian intelligence services' decision to monitor AfD activities for extremism.
In Bavaria, the intelligence service – known in Germany as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution – took the decision in June 2022 to monitor the AfD as a whole, using both public and intelligence sources.
In summary proceedings, the Bavarian court initially dismissed the AfD's complaint on the grounds that the intelligence service was right to assume there were indications of anti-constitutional activity on part of the party.
After requests for a temporary injunction were twice rejected, the main hearing in the first instance is now to take place in a Munich court.
The Munich court initially scheduled nine hearing days for the proceedings following the complaint by the party's Bavarian branch.
A decision could be published on the last day of the hearing, which is currently scheduled for July 18.
The case reflects rising concern at the successes of the far-right AfD both in the country and in the European Union.
On June 9, the AfD scored a second-place victory among German parties in elections to the European Parliament, trouncing the Social Democrats of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
At home, some German states are keeping a close eye on the legality of the party's stance, statements and activities.
In the central state of Thuringia, the AfD has been classified as right-wing extremist and is being monitored by the domestic intelligence service.
The agency's Bavarian branch is also seeking to tighten its scrutiny of the AfD, which has vowed to continue to fight it in court.