Stefan Keuter, deputy leader of the AfD parliamentary group, has corrected his earlier statement about contacts with foreign intelligence services. In a statement distributed by the group, he said that neither he nor other group members had such contacts. He described his 2 November remark as unintentionally misleading and factually incorrect.
Der Spiegel reports that Keuter had said at the earlier press conference that the group had contacts with the US State Department, advisers to US President Donald Trump, Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the presidential administration. In his account at the time, this also applied to associated intelligence services on both sides.
The statement is therefore more than a change of phrasing. Keuter no longer stands by the claim about contacts with foreign intelligence services. It also does not explain what his original account was based on or what he meant by the group being well connected.
Der Spiegel also reports that Keuter faced internal pressure over the remarks. According to the report, a group spokesperson told dpa that the issue could play a role when the Bundestag discusses intelligence-service reform on Friday. The unanswered question is how the original claim came about.
Source: Der Spiegel, 12 November 2026: https://www.spiegel.de/politik/afd-politiker-prahlte-mit-angeblichen-geheimdienstkontakten-nun-zieht-er-die-aussage-zurueck-a-fecfce56-dc35-4a1e-8df2-6d29aba1bfa8
Sources
- Der Spiegel · Source date: 2026-11-12
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-12