Bangladesh, May 3 -- In a move that has shaken Germanys political landscape, outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz has cautioned against hastily banning the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, despite a damning new report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) labeling it as “extremist.” Scholzs remarks, delivered on May 2, underscore the deepening political tensions in Berlin as the AfDs popularity surges and the country prepares for a leadership transition.

Earlier that day, the BfV released a comprehensive report accusing the AfD of promoting racist, anti-migrant rhetoric and undermining Germanys democratic values. This classification as an extremist organization allows the BfV to intensif...