SPD demands exclusion: AfD MP is said to have shown "White-Power" symbol in the state parliament
An AfD member of parliament in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Tommy Thormann, has been accused by opposition parties of displaying a hand gesture associated with white supremacy during the inaugural session of the state parliament. The Left, SPD, and Green parties condemned the act, with the SPD demanding his immediate expulsion from the parliamentary group and citing it as evidence of deep-rooted right-wing extremism within the AfD. Opposition leaders argued that the gesture, which forms a circle with the thumb and index finger while extending the others, was intended as a provocation rather than a benign sign. While the Anti-Extremism Information Center notes the symbol is used by right-wing groups, it is also commonly recognized among divers as a safety signal meaning 'okay.' The AfD faction downplayed the incident, stating that for Thormann, the gesture simply meant 'it works' or 'all good,' rejecting accusations of extremist intent.
A massive data breach involving the German right-wing party Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) has exposed over 420,000 internal emails, documents, and database extracts to the public internet. The leak, which totals approximately 280 gigabytes, includes correspondence from ten specific mailboxes, among them accounts associated with former party leader Alexander Gauland, current chair Alice Weidel, and the party’s federal headquarters. The dataset also contains roughly 41,000 PDF files, 3,480 Word documents, and several SQL database dumps. While the AfD claims the incident involved only obsolete archives, experts point to recent communications within the leaked material that contradict this narrative. The unauthorized release occurred after hackers targeted a hosting service provider used by the party. According to statements from anonymous attackers circulating on Telegram channels, the intrusion took place through an outdated website. The perpetrators stated that their objective was not destruction, noting that they could have destroyed both servers and backups, but instead sought to expose what they described as the "degeneracy and hypocrisy" within the party. They further claimed to have received offers of money to take down the leak website, which they allegedly thwarted using a distributed denial-of-service attack. The data was published via BitTorrent and made searchable on a dedicated website named hexane.cc, which was registered in mid-October according to press investigations. Cybersecurity expert Mirko Ross, who leads the firm Asvin, analyzed portions of the dataset and assessed the incident as hacktivism rather than the work of an insider. Ross noted that the manner in which the data was prepared suggests political activism, designed to allow users to quickly process the information. He emphasized that the contents extend far beyond the scope of old, unused mailboxes described by the party. Specifically, Ross identified emails dated 2026, including discussions regarding the election campaign in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This finding directly challenges the AfD’s official statement, issued in response to media inquiries, which asserted that the attack occurred in September 2026 and affected primarily postboxes that had been inactive for years. The party maintained that current email accounts for its federal association were not compromised and that all affected users had been informed once the breach was detected. Despite the party's characterization of the stolen data as largely historical, the leaked materials include sensitive personal information such as ID photos, bank statements, invoices, certificates, and membership lists from local chapters in North Rhine-Westphalia. One specific example highlighted by cybersecurity portal International Cyber Digest involves a message from November 2018 in which an AfD officeholder reportedly advised Alice Weidel to book Swiss election campaign funds as an interest-bearing loan during a controversy over donations. The authenticity of individual messages has not been independently verified, though some experts believe the data appears genuine. A significant portion of the correspondence consists of letters from supporters expressing opinions to the party, while others were sent to multiple parties with the AfD merely copied, meaning these cannot necessarily be attributed to the party leadership. Reactions to the breach have been mixed. Some observers question whether the leak aims to discredit the party, leaving open the possibility of an external attack motivated by political opposition. The AfD faces ongoing scrutiny regarding potential financial irregularities, with journalist guides included in the leak suggesting research avenues into such matters. The party stands under suspicion of extremism, and it remains unclear if the new evidence increases the likelihood of a ban procedure. Separately, tensions escalated in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state parliament following the inauguration of the new legislative period. AfD member Tommy Thormann posted an Instagram video from his first session in Schwerin showing him making a hand gesture with his thumb and index finger forming a circle while extending the remaining fingers. Left, Social Democratic, and Green faction leaders accused Thormann of displaying a "White Power" symbol, a sign used by neo-Nazi groups to denote white supremacy. Although the gesture is also known as an "okay" signal among divers, the Bavarian Information Center against Extremism identifies it as a right-wing extremist symbol. Left faction leader Hennis Herbst formally requested that Parliament President Birgit Hesse investigate the incident and consider issuing a formal reprimand. Social Democratic faction chief Julian Barlen demanded Thormann’s immediate expulsion from the parliamentary group, arguing that the presence of such symbols demonstrated deep-seated extremism within the AfD ranks. Green faction leader Claudia Müller agreed, stating that the display of such symbolism disqualified the faction from holding responsibility in the parliamentary board. The AfD dismissed the accusations, stating that for Thormann, the gesture simply meant "everything is going well," and characterized similar gestures by other members as non-political greetings. Thormann, who serves as the AfD spokesperson on left-wing extremism, has previously faced criticism for provocative statements. In May, at an event in Sassnitz on Rügen, he threatened that the party would unleash police on political opponents once it seized power. His candidate rival, Carlos Rodrigues, had unsuccessfully run for the position of Parliament President, resulting in the board being composed solely of representatives from the coalition parties seeking to form a government. Meanwhile, in Munich, influencer Marcant, known for confronting AfD supporters and right-wing extremists in public spaces, received the "Blue Panther" media award for best social media personality. The jury cited his method of persistent questioning as a counterweight to misinformation and anti-democratic content. Marcant dedicated the prize to his team, citing security threats, and acknowledged over 1,000 individuals who contacted him to say they had left right-wing structures after engaging with his content.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has experienced a significant data breach, revealing extensive internal communications. The leaked dataset includes around 420,000 emails from ten mailboxes, including those of the federal arbitration court, prominent AfD members, and the party’s federal office. It also contains over 41,000 PDFs, 3,480 Word documents, and SQL database extracts. The breach appears to have originated from multiple web servers and at least one email server. The attackers, identified as hacktivists by IT security expert Mirko Ross, claimed their goal was to expose the 'degeneracy and hypocrisy' within the AfD rather than cause destruction. According to the AfD, the breach involved old, unused email accounts from a hosting provider, and they claim the attack was stopped after detection. However, the leaked data dates back to early September, contradicting the party’s timeline.
Bias read (Center): The article presents the data breach factually, without overtly favoring either the AfD or the hackers. It provides details about the nature of the leak, the involvement of hacktivists, and the AfD's response without taking a clear stance on the political implications or assigning blame. The framing
Why factuality (80): The article accurately reports the data leak involving AfD emails, mentioning the approximate number of emails (around 421,000) and referencing the involvement of a hosting service provider. However, it omits some specific details present in the primary source.
Why objectivity (65): The article provides a balanced view by noting the uncertainty surrounding the authenticity of the leaked emails and includes expert opinion without taking sides.
The article discusses proposed changes to the parliamentary rules in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern by a coalition government (red-red-green) aimed at limiting the rights of future opposition parties, particularly affecting the AfD. The planned measures include reducing financial support, speaking time, and questioning rights for the opposition. The AfD has criticized these proposals as having 'totalitarian elements.' The article highlights concerns over potential restrictions on oppositional activities within the legislative body.
Bias read (Conservative): The article frames the proposed legislation as an attempt to systematically restrict the opposition rights of the AfD, using terms like 'totalitarian elements' and emphasizing the reduction of resources and influence for the opposition. This framing suggests a critical stance toward the government's
Why factuality (70): The article is unrelated to the primary source document and discusses a different topic entirely regarding the upcoming federal presidential election. It does not provide relevant information about the Landtag election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Why objectivity (40): The article is clearly biased and focuses on promoting a particular viewpoint regarding the federal presidential election. It lacks neutrality and presents information in a highly opinionated manner.
An AfD member of parliament in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Tommy Thormann, has been accused by opposition parties of displaying a hand gesture associated with white supremacy during the inaugural session of the state parliament. The Left, SPD, and Green parties condemned the act, with the SPD demanding his immediate expulsion from the parliamentary group and citing it as evidence of deep-rooted right-wing extremism within the AfD. Opposition leaders argued that the gesture, which forms a circle with the thumb and index finger while extending the others, was intended as a provocation rather than a benign sign. While the Anti-Extremism Information Center notes the symbol is used by right-wing groups, it is also commonly recognized among divers as a safety signal meaning 'okay.' The AfD faction downplayed the incident, stating that for Thormann, the gesture simply meant 'it works' or 'all good,' rejecting accusations of extremist intent.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the incident primarily through the lens of opposition parties who explicitly label the AfD members as 'right-wing extremists' and demand punitive measures like expulsion. It quotes critics using strong moral language such as 'unworthy of a German state parliament' and emphasizes '
Why factuality (10): The article describes a completely different event (a 'White Power' gesture by Tommy Thormann in October 2026) than the primary source document (an AfD chat leak regarding May 8th commemorations). It contains no information from the provided text.
Why objectivity (70): The tone is relatively standard journalistic reporting, quoting opposition parties and providing context on the symbol's dual meaning (diving vs. white power), though it leans slightly towards the critical perspective of the opposition.
Die WeltIndependent🔒ProgressiveFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 70
The German YouTuber known as Marcant has been awarded the 'Blue Panther' media prize for being the most popular social media personality. The award was presented during the Munich Media Days, where Marcant credited his team and supporters who helped him navigate threats from right-wing extremists. He is widely recognized for creating videos that challenge AfD members and other right-wing figures by questioning their motivations at public events and demonstrations. The jury praised his approach as a counterweight to misinformation and anti-democratic content, highlighting his persistent interviewing techniques. Marcant noted that over 1,000 people had contacted him to say they were leaving right-extremist structures after engaging with his work.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the subject through a lens that validates his role as a democratic defender against extremism. By quoting the jury's description of him as a 'counterweight to anti-democratic content' and emphasizing the positive impact of his work on individuals leaving extremist groups, the text
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (70): The tone is largely neutral but uses slightly positive framing terms like 'political enlightenment work' and quotes the winner's self-assessment prominently. The headline uses the label 'AfD-Hunter' which carries a slight connotation, though it is a common descriptor for him. Overall, it presents th
taz – die tageszeitungIndependentProgressiveFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 40
A newly elected AfD member of parliament in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Tommy Thormann, displayed a white power gesture during his first session in the state legislature. The act was captured in a video posted by Thormann on social media, where he also made derogatory comments toward other parliamentary groups. Political opponents from the SPD, Greens, and Left parties condemned the incident, describing Thormann as a known right-wing extremist who openly displays neo-Nazi symbolism. These parties demanded that the AfD faction leadership immediately expel Thormann from their ranks. The article notes that Thormann has previously made threats against political opponents and holds a spokesperson role within the AfD regarding left-wing extremism.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the event through the lens of democratic opposition, using strong condemnatory language such as 'right-wing extremists' and 'neo-Nazis.' It relies exclusively on quotes from center-left and left-wing politicians (SPD, Greens, Left) to define the nature of the incident, omitting or
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (40): The writing style is highly opinionated and uses loaded language such as 'Verfolgungsfantasien' (fantasies of persecution), 'Neonazi-Geste', and 'kotzen schon' (they're already puking/vomiting). The framing is explicitly hostile toward the subject, lacking neutrality.
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