AfD returns to Munich Security Conference after three-year exclusion

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to return to the Munich Security Conference (MSC), one of the world’s most prestigious security forums, following a three-year exclusion.

The decision to invite AfD lawmakers to the mid-February summit represents a significant reversal for the conference and a symbolic triumph for the party. This comes as the AfD intensifies efforts to normalize its image, particularly by cultivating relationships with the new Trump administration.

The AfD launched an aggressive campaign late last year to regain its seat at the MSC. This strategy included initiating legal proceedings against the conference organizers and attempting to leverage its growing ties with officials in the Trump administration.

These efforts appear to have been at least partially successful. MSC organizers have extended invitations to three AfD members of parliament for this year’s conference, though the party has continued to push for the inclusion of higher-profile figures, such as co-leader Alice Weidel.

Heinrich Koch, one of the three AfD lawmakers who received an invitation, told POLITICO: “The invitations were sent because we made a strong impression through the contacts we established with the Americans.”

According to his own account and statements from the AfD’s legal counsel, Koch was specifically tasked by the party to secure access to the MSC.

Wolfgang Ischinger, the prominent German diplomat who is chairing the MSC this year, denied that the decision was a result of the party’s pressure campaign. Instead, he characterized the move as an acknowledgement of the simple political reality that the AfD is Germany’s largest opposition force.

He told POLITICO:

“This is a decision we made according to our own conscience, attempting to do what is right in order to reflect current reality. For the Munich Security Conference, which brings together many opposing views, enemies, and people who accuse each other of being murderers or genocidaires, it would be very difficult for us to justify the categorical exclusion of Germany’s largest opposition party.”

This year does not mark the first time AfD politicians have attended the MSC. During Ischinger’s previous tenure as conference chairman from 2008 to 2022, AfD politicians with a focus on defense were frequently invited.

However, the party has since faced increased scrutiny from national and state domestic intelligence agencies tasked with monitoring groups deemed unconstitutional. These investigations culminated last year in the party being classified as a “far-right organization” at the federal level.

Ischinger’s successor, diplomat Christoph Heusgen, refused to invite AfD leaders to the last three conferences, arguing that a party considered at least partially “far-right” by intelligence officials had no place at the event. Heusgen stepped down after last year’s conference, with Ischinger returning to the helm this year.

Following Heusgen’s initial refusal, the AfD filed a lawsuit late last year to force its inclusion in the 2026 summit. According to documents obtained by POLITICO from the Munich District Court, the AfD claimed it was the victim of “targeted exclusion.”

“The plaintiff wishes to be involved in foreign and security policy issues to have a voice as an opposition group,” the court noted.

Ultimately, the court rejected the AfD’s argument in December, ruling that the MSC, as a private entity, is free to decide whom it invites.

Koch, who represented the AfD parliamentary group in court, stated during the hearing that he pressured the MSC by threatening to attend the conference as a guest of the American delegation. He claimed the three invitations were issued shortly thereafter.

However, the AfD’s threats appear to have been largely rhetorical. Koch admitted to reaching out to the office of US Senator Lindsey Graham, a regular attendee of the conference, but received no response from the Republican senator.

At last year’s MSC, US Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized European centrists for excluding the far-right, stating that “there is no room for firewalls.” Vance later held a meeting with Weidel.

Koch indicated that the AfD would attempt to organize a similar high-level meeting this year, though it remains unclear whether Vance will attend the conference.

Koch also noted that he had requested an invitation for Weidel, which the MSC declined. Ischinger clarified that he and his team do not intend to issue further invitations to AfD politicians.

Daniel Tapp, a spokesperson for Weidel, denied that the party used the possibility of a meeting with a high-ranking Trump official as leverage to secure the MSC invitations. However, he acknowledged that “certain pressure” had led to the invitations for the three lawmakers.

Weidel’s plans for the conference remain uncertain. “We will wait to see if there are further developments in the coming days,” Tapp said late last month.

According to Tapp, as of Friday, no meetings between Weidel and US officials had been scheduled during the MSC.

Ischinger emphasized that any AfD events held outside the conference framework are irrelevant to the MSC:

“If you ask me, they can hold a large conference. It is not my job to stop them or to discuss the matter with them. That is their business, but it has nothing to do with the Munich Security Conference.”