German Ministers Call for Ban Proceedings Against AfD

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Minister President Cem Özdemir have called for the initiation of ban proceedings against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In a guest contribution to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, the two politicians urged for a focus on the völkisch state associations of the party in Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony Anhalt, and Brandenburg. They argue that this action is legally possible, supported by evidence, and required by the constitution.

Özdemir and Pistorius distinguish between a German national current and a völkisch part of the AfD. They suggest that while the German national current might be compatible with the Basic Law and should be fought within parliament and society, the völkisch part openly questions the foundations of the constitution and despises democracy. They claim it would be naive to believe that völkisch ideology can be countered through political debate alone, as the party will attempt to disguise this element.

Only the Bundestag, the Bundesrat, or the federal government can file an application for a party ban with the Federal Constitutional Court. Currently, there is no majority for such a move. Members of the CDU and CSU have expressed skepticism, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stating that the AfD should be voted out rather than banned. CDU deputy parliamentary group leader Günter Krings warned that a premature application could potentially benefit the affected party.

Reporting on the event differs by political lean. A center left source frames the event as a demand for legal action by specific ministers amid upcoming state elections. A center right source frames the argument as a historical necessity, drawing parallels to the failure to ban the NSDAP in the 1930s to emphasize that no stone should be left unturned.