Far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel hailed as a "victory for democracy" a court ruling Thursday that for now stops the BfV domestic intelligence service from designating the party as "confirmed extremist".

"A major victory not only for the AfD but also for democracy and the rule of law," she wrote on X, adding that the decision had also "thrown a spanner in the works" for the "fanatics" seeking to outlaw the AfD.

The Cologne's administrative court ruling is a boost to the party before five state elections this year.

The court granted an injunction filed by the AfD contesting a 2025 decision by the BfV to refer to and treat the party as right-wing extremist. The injunction is valid until the court rules on the case itself but it is unclear when that will be.

"Following examination under the summary procedure, it cannot currently be established that the applicant, as a whole, is dominated by the positions discussed above," said the court in a statement.

The spy agency had in May classified the far-right AfD as "extremist", enabling it to step up monitoring of the country's biggest opposition party.

Its move to classify the far-right AfD as extremist in May produced sharp reactions along the fault lines of German politics, with some lawmakers calling for the AfD to be banned and the party casting it as an attack on democracy.

It also sparked strong criticism from US President Donald Trump's administration, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on the German authorities to reverse their decision.