Germany's intelligence agencies have failed to tackle rightwing violence for too long | Peter Kuras

The news that the AfD is now under observation is a vital step towards dealing with an endemic problem of fascist tendencies

Since the anniversary of the killings in Hanau, which took place a little over a year ago, my Berlin neighbourhood has been plastered with posters featuring simple but compelling line drawings of Ferhat Unvar, Gokhan Gultekin, Hamza Kurtovi, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Sedat Gurbuz, Kalojan Velkov, Vili Viorel Pun and Fatih Saracolu, the nine victims of the far-right terrorist attack that continues to shape German discussions of rightwing extremism. The posters have been part of a broader campaign committed to drawing attention to and naming the victims of these crimes.

The campaign came to mind when news broke on Wednesday 3 March that the Verfassungsschutz, Germany's internal state security service, has placed the entirety of the far-right party Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) under observation. More than an empty formality, the step has concrete consequences for Germany's largest opposition party in parliament, which must now expect to be monitored by confidential informants, and have its mail intercepted and its phones tapped. It's a radical step, and is unsurprising that it's been met by a series of legal challenges.