"Threatens democracy"

SPD opens up to ban proceedings against AfD

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wanted to fight the AfD primarily by political means.

(Bild: AFP)

The right-wing AfD is becoming ever stronger politically, as the polls of recent months suggest. In Germany, the established parties have been looking into banning the far-right group for some time. Now the SPD also appears to be open to the idea.

The SPD is open to the possibility of banning the AfD in Germany. "For us, there is no question: the AfD is an extreme right-wing party that is steeped in nationalist ideology and threatens democracy," reads a resolution passed by the SPD party executive after a closed meeting in Berlin on Saturday.

In "defense" of democracy
Reference is made to the evidence that has been submitted for proceedings before the Münster Higher Administrative Court to review the party's classification as a suspected right-wing extremist. "If these findings show that the prospects of success of such (prohibition) proceedings appear to be assured, then an application to examine the unconstitutionality of the AfD in accordance with Article 21 (2) of the Basic Law is a clear option for us to defend our democracy," it emphasizes. The relevant constitutional bodies would then have to decide on this.

"One must also have the courage to be intolerant towards those who want to use democracy to kill it," the constitutional law expert and SPD politician Carlo Schmid, who died in 1979 and was one of the fathers of the Basic Law, is quoted as saying.

Proceedings are considered controversial
The initiation of a ban procedure against the AfD, which is in second place nationwide in opinion polls, is controversial, partly because it would take years. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had emphasized that the AfD had to be fought politically first and foremost.