Firewall Against AfD: SPD Pushes, Union Warns: Coalition Fights Over Ban Procedure
Dispute over Procedural Aspects of Banning Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party
The AfD ban debate rages on within the black-red coalition, with opposing views surfacing. Matthias Miersch, SPD's parliamentary group leader, favors initiating a ban procedure, irrespective of ongoing court proceedings. However, his coalition partner, CSU's Minister Dobrindt, issues a stern warning about a potential "rude awakening" if they pursue this course.
Miersch advances the argument that the ban procedure is timely, stating, "We're not coddling the AfD, we're fighting them." He believes that, when consensus is reached within his parliamentary group on the procedure, they should agree on a joint approach with the Union in the Bundestag.
Dobrindt, on the contrary, is against a ban application, believing it only benefits the AfD. "I suggest gently guiding the AfD out from the center," he contends. The CSU politician reiterates his stance that the AfD is "unquestionably a right-wing extremist party."
In a study conducted by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, out of 176 Members of the German Bundestag who responded, 124 expressed support for a ban procedure. The majority of this backing comes from SPD, Greens, and Left. It seems the Union parliamentary group, led by Steffen Bilger, is still reluctant, with Bilger stating, "We are seeing that the AfD is becoming increasingly extreme, but we are not there yet."
The debate intensified after the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution upgraded the AfD to a "securely right-wing extremist endeavor" in May. The party, in response, filed an urgent application against this classification. Until a decision by the competent administrative court in Cologne, the domestic intelligence agency has maintained a stance of monitoring the AfD only as a so-called suspected case. A ban procedure can be initiated by the federal government, the Bundestag, or the Bundesrat at the Federal Constitutional Court.
Politics
In related news, a fact-check by ntv examines the evidence supporting the AfD's right-wing extremist label. The program scrutinizes the party's hate speech, political rhetoric, and association with extremist ideologies, providing insight into the ongoing debates surrounding the AfD's ideological leanings.
[4] Foreign Office defends enhanced monitoring of the AfD as a safeguard for democracy, drawing parallels with lessons from the Nazi era. AfD leaders criticize these measures as politically motivated attacks on democracy.
Sources: ntv.de, chl/AFP/dpa
- The Commission, in the midst of debates on politics and policy-and-legislation, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, similar to the ongoing debate about the AfD ban within the German coalition.
- Just as Matthias Miersch advocates for a ban procedure against the AfD, citing the party's extremist tendencies, the Commission could submit a proposal that aims to protect workers from the hazards of ionizing radiation, aiming to prevent a "rude awakening" for those at risk.
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