Demystifying success becomes possible.
True devotees of Höcke will refuse to acknowledge Halle's decision that this AfD politician endangers freedom, not just in Thuringia, but also beyond. However, there are others.
For ardent supporters of Thuringia's AfD leader Björn Höcke, the situation is apparent: a political trial, a political verdict, freedom of speech is under attack, Germany is no longer a constitutional state or a democracy. But for everyone else, this judgment may spark reflection.
In Halle's trial, where the verdict was given on Tuesday, Höcke's attorneys also echoed the view of unwavering Höcke supporters. They depicted the proceedings as directed against freedom of speech and refuted the incontrovertible: a politician with a background of close connections to neo-Nazis, whom even the AfD federal executive board acknowledged in 2017 as having an "affinity with National Socialism", is believed to have used an SA slogan unknowingly? That's highly implausible.
Höcke's trial was also about politics, but it wasn't "political." Justice was carried out correctly. The Criminal Code prohibits the distribution and use of propaganda material and symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations, and that's precisely what Höcke did. On May 1st, during the middle of the ongoing trial, he urged his audience to employ the slogan that landed him in court. It was the second occurrence.
Nonetheless, the trial could have political repercussions, and that's excellent news. The trial has demonstrated that Höcke, despite his denials, repeatedly praises National Socialism. Like all populists, Höcke presents himself as a true democrat. However, Höcke has exceeded the bounds of populism and descended into right-wing extremism. He's so far-right that he's a threat to the freedom he asserts to protect. This is applicable not only to Thuringia, where he seeks to become prime minister, but across the country, as Höcke continues to be the central puppet-master in the AfD.
The upside is that Höcke's deconstruction can be successful, as the trial has shown. And the AfD as a whole? It's known for some time but became glaringly obvious once more: with individuals like Höcke pulling the strings within the party, it's more likely to encounter the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the courts rather than engage in government participation in the near future.
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- Despite criticisms from some, the trial of Björn Höcke in Halle highlighted his repeated praise for National Socialism, revealing his shift from right-wing populism to right-wing extremism.
- The electoral success of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt has been attributed in part to the influence of right-wing extremist figures like Björn Höcke, raising concerns about the mainstreaming of National Socialism ideologies.
- The trial of Höcke in Halle, a city in Thuringia, shed light on his connections to neo-Nazi groups, further cementing the AfD's reputation as a party that harbors right-wing extremist sympathies, much like the National Socialist movement of the past.
- The trial of Höcke has been met with disapproval from some sections of the right-wing population in Germany, who see it as an attack on freedom of speech, a key principle underpinning the National Socialist ideology, also known as National Socialism.
Source: www.ntv.de
