Thuringia's AfD state party leader Björn Höcke has promised support for the "Young Alternative" (JA), which is classified by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a right-wing extremist. "We can assure you: We stand behind you!" shouted Höcke on Saturday at an AfD state party conference in Pfiffelbach to representatives of the AfD youth organization. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had recently announced the new classification. Previously, the YES had been listed as a suspected case.

Höcke's Thuringian AfD state association is observed even by the state protection of the constitution as a secured right-wing extremist endeavor. The 51-year-old politician considers the Office for the Protection of the Constitution to be biased and accuses the domestic intelligence service of being "a fighting instrument of the government," as he said on Saturday.

The AfD wants to become the strongest force in Thuringia in next year's regular state election. Most recently, in an Insa poll, it was able to extend its lead over the left of Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left) and came to 28 percent – the Left Party received 22 percent. Currently, the AfD is the third strongest faction in the state parliament.

Höcke set the goal of obtaining 33 plus x percent in the state election. In Piffelbach, he repeated his claim to participate in the government of Thuringia. However, the AfD is completely isolated in the Free State and also in the federal government. All parties currently represented in the Thuringian state parliament strictly reject cooperation with the AfD.

Höcke said that the AfD wanted to win in June in the district election in the southern Thuringian district of Sonneberg and provide the district administrator there. "Imagine the AfD wins its first district, what a headline that would be. The Federal Republic of Germany would tremble, and that must be our goal," said Höcke.