Merz shoots against Esken in AfD ban debate
Many politicians in Germany are currently discussing a ban on the AfD. SPD leader Esken is in favor of this. CDU leader Merz is not enthusiastic about the idea and sharply criticizes the Social Democrat. However, she does not only receive support from her party.
Despite the high legal hurdles to banning the AfD, the debate is gathering pace. Politicians from the SPD, the Left and the Greens are calling for the option to be kept open - even if the AfD must be countered politically. CDU leader Friedrich Merz, on the other hand, strictly rejected a ban.
He told the "Münchener Merkur" newspaper: "Such sham debates are grist to the AfD's mill." He criticized SPD leader Saskia Esken in particular: "Does the SPD leader seriously believe that you can simply ban a party that reaches 30 percent in the polls? That is a frightening suppression of reality." Only sensible political solutions to problems would be effective, then the AfD would become smaller again.
A few days earlier, Esken said that "such a party ban is rightly subject to high hurdles. But I am convinced that we should keep reviewing this." Accordingly, it is important "that an AfD ban is discussed and that voters are shaken up". Esken explained that the AfD is part of an extreme right-wing network, keeps lists of critical journalists who are not liked and sets up reporting portals for teachers who make critical comments about the AfD. "It uses every topic to incite people. For me, that is clearly anti-democratic," she emphasized.
Thierse: AfD will stylize itself as a victim
The Alternative for Germany, founded in 2013, is listed as a suspected right-wing extremist organization by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution considers the AfD state associations to be confirmed right-wing extremist. This is why "the state has a duty to consider banning the AfD", former Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse told the "Tagesspiegel", thereby supporting Esken. However, "one must consider very soberly: there are high hurdles for a party ban in Germany, a ban procedure takes a long time, probably many years, and the AfD would exploit this considerably for propaganda purposes, stylizing itself as a victim".
Petra Köpping, the leading SPD candidate for the state elections in Saxony, also spoke out in favor of regularly reviewing the chances of an AfD ban. The NPD ban procedure had failed because the party had only achieved low election results and therefore posed no threat. As a reminder, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled against an NPD ban in 2017. The judges saw the party's efforts against the free democratic basic order, but no evidence that the small party could be successful. "I see things differently with the AfD," argued Köpping in Der Spiegel. "The AfD is strong, it is a danger to democracy."
Weighing up arguments carefully
Green politician Konstantin von Notz called for a political debate in order to "remove the breeding ground" for the AfD. However, he cautioned: "The AfD is a party that deeply despises our democracy." A party ban is a possible instrument in Germany, although the hurdles are high. The constitutional bodies would have to keep an eye on the assessments of the security authorities and "carefully weigh up the arguments for and against a ban".
The chairman of the Left Party, Martin Schirdewan, said in turn: "The option of banning a party must not be hastily dismissed. And unlike the NPD, the AfD could unfortunately no longer avoid a ban by becoming insignificant." However, he also added: "You just shouldn't think that your own homework will be done if you ban a fascist party. The focus should first be on your own political work."
The AfD is in second place behind the CDU/CSU in polls for the Bundestag elections with more than 20 percent - and well ahead of the governing parties SPD, Greens and FDP. In Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg, where new state parliaments will be elected in September, polls put the AfD in the lead, in some cases by a considerable margin, with over 30 percent.
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Despite the opposition from CDU leader Friedrich Merz, politicians from the SPD, The Left, and Alliance 90/The Greens continue to advocate for maintaining the option of banning the AfD, despite the high legal hurdles involved. Merz criticized SPD leader Saskia Esken, stating that banning a party reaching 30% in polls would be a suppression of reality and ineffective. Meanwhile, the AfD's strength in polls raises concerns, with the party in second place behind the CDU/CSU and leading in some state elections.
Source: www.ntv.de
