"Caution Needed" Linnemann Hesitates on AfD Ban Procedure
Linnemann challenges the process for banning AfD
For Sunday, demonstrations are scheduled in numerous cities demanding a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann expresses caution. Meanwhile, SPD faction leader Matthias Miersch keeps the ban possibility on the table.
According to Linnemann, a ban procedure could be "politically highly dangerous." Top legal experts claim such a ban would be challenging and its outcome uncertain. Linnemann points out that a ban would prolong the AfD's claimed victimhood playing field. Moreover, he contends that a possible ban wouldn't address the disenchantment of the AfD's ten million voters. Instead, if the new government bolsters the economy and halts illegal immigration, the AfD will likely weaken significantly.
However, Matthias Miersch persistently considers a possible ban an option. He believes substantive challenges and good governance can diminish the AfD and divert its momentum. Yet, he insists that the AfD's classification as a right-wing extremist party by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution should result in consequences.
The AfD Extremism Debate
Proponents of the AfD ban argue that only a ban can safeguard democracy and its institutions from a party actively working against them. Article 21 of the German Basic Law permits a ban if a party aims to impair or abolish the free democratic basic order. The Federal Constitutional Court requires evidence of active, planned activities against democracy and a real chance of achieving these goals.
Although the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the entire AfD as a securely right-wing extremist endeavor, it has stirred debate about the ban. Critics allege that attempts to silence political opposition through classification or legal action may threaten democratic freedoms. Others stress the need to safeguard democracy from the AfD's extremist influence.
While Linnemann and Miersch's standpoints are clear, the specifics of their thoughts on the party ban remain unclear from the available information.
Sources: ntv.de, sba/dpa
- AfD
- Right-wing extremism
- Carsten Linnemann
- Matthias Miersch
- Carsten Linnemann, the CDU General Secretary, voices caution toward the ban procedure of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), expressing concerns about the political risks it might entail.
- Matthias Miersch, SPD faction leader, keeps the possibility of an AfD ban on the table, believing that substantive challenges and good governance can diminish the AfD and divert its momentum.
- In the context of the AfD extremism debate, community policy and politics play a significant role, as proponents of the ban argue it is necessary to safeguard democracy, while critics allege it might threaten democratic freedoms.
- Employment policy, as a potential solution to the disenchantment of the AfD's ten million voters, is a key concern for Linnemann, who contends that a possible ban wouldn't address this issue adequately.
