Green Party Leader Demands Ban on AfD: A Threat to Our Democracy
Green Party head calls for prohibition of AfD party - Green party leader advocates for prohibition of AfD party
In a bold move, Green Party leader Pascal Haggenmüller has urged for a ban on the AfD, citing the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's confirmation of their threat to democracy and society. Speaking in Stuttgart, Haggenmüller emphasized the need to defend democracy, arguing that the ban would dismantle the political structures of enemies of the constitution and cut off their financial resources.
Previously, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had designated the AfD as securely right-wing extremist, a label that now extends to the entire party. This classification had initially applied only to the state associations of Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt.
Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) of Baden-Württemberg acknowledged the removal of the AfD's facade of civility and reiterated that the Constitutional Protection should continue to observe the AfD in the region, with valid reasons for doing so since 2022. He stressed the importance of engaging politically with the AfD, highlighting that the so-called alternative is not a genuine alternative and poses a danger to democratic coexistence.
Andreas Stoch, the SPD state leader, underscored that the AfD being a securely right-wing extremist party is a finding of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, not a political opinion of democratic parties. He warned that those who still view the AfD as a normal party like any other are deliberately refusing to see the truth, arguing that our democracy has the right to defend itself against its enemies.
It's essential to note that the process of banning a political party in Germany is a serious matter, requiring a formal application to the Federal Constitutional Court. The Court reviews the application, considers evidence, and decides on a ban based on the party's actions and goals being contrary to the Constitution. The classification of a party as extremist by the intelligence agency is not a direct legal basis for a ban but can provide grounds by indicating anti-constitutional activities.
The decision to ban the AfD, if made, would not be based on political opinions but on laws safeguarding the democracy. The ruling ensures that any decision to ban a party is made under strict legal scrutiny and adherence to constitutional principles.
- The Green Party leader, Pascal Haggenmüller, aims to prohibit the AFD due to their confirmed threat to Germany's democracy and society, as reported by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
- The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has extended the "securely right-wing extremist" label from state associations in Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt to the entire AFD party.
- Despite the AFD's loss of civility, Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister, Thomas Strobl (CDU), counsels continued observation of the party by the Constitutional Protection in the region.
- The SPD state leader, Andreas Stoch, emphasizes that the AFD's designation as a securely right-wing extremist party by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is not a political opinion but a fact, and those who refuse to acknowledge this are disregarding the truth about the party's anti-constitutional activities, posing a threat to democratic coexistence in EC countries adhering to free movement of workers, freedom to provide services, and preservation of their democracies.
