This is John Batchel, conversation with my colleague Judy Dempsey in Berlin for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,

highlighting AFD, threatening AFD, the populist right party that is strong in the eastern part of Germany,

the old East Germany under the communist boot. It is now spreading its wings

and swooping over the culture and preaching what Judy regards as a mission that is meant to undermine

the European Union, undermine NATO, undermine the support of the continent in the face of Russian aggression.

Judy explains, there's much more to this. It's ongoing. You will recall that AFD has a great number of seats in the Bundestag and is anticipating winning over these next years in state elections and perhaps eventually in the Bundestag election forthcoming.

Judy Dempsey on AFD Rising.

More of this tonight.

I think this is a really important question.

The AFD is total Germany-centric and based.

Yes, they may have, you know, connections with

Marine Le Pen's party or Farage. And actually, I must say with Donald Trump, because one of

his big advisors came over and spoke to the AFD just a few days ago on how to organize

elections and so on. So they've got, on the one hand,

a very close support from the Trump administration and on the other hand, close support

from the Putin administration. And, you know, the Germany established parties, but the civil

society, and us voters must realize what is at stake here.

This is a German party that is trying to shape Germany

on how they see the future of the country.