Söder against AfD ban, but in favor of new classification
Banning the AfD is a process that is doomed to failure, says Bavaria's state leader Söder. He wants to fight the right-wing populists with political means - but the Office for the Protection of the Constitution could also play its part.
CSU leader Markus Söder has spoken out against banning the AfD, but is in favor of a nationwide classification of the party as "definitely right-wing extremist". "The AfD despises our democracy and would cause massive damage to our security and prosperity," the Bavarian Minister President told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers. "It would help if the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution were to classify the AfD as right-wing extremist on a national level."
The AfD in Saxony was classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization on Friday. The party had previously received such a classification in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. In Saxony, it was initially a test case and has been a suspected case since February 2021. It is now being monitored by the local Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This may also involve the use of intelligence services.
Democracy has "never been in such danger in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany as it is now", warned Söder. "Destructive forces such as the AfD and the Wagenknecht group are gaining ground. The current government is showing little ability to act."
By the Wagenknecht Group, Söder is referring to the alliance initiated by former left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht. However, the CSU chairman, who is traveling to Israel on Wednesday, rejected a ban on the AfD. This would "fail just like the attempt to ban the NPD", said Söder. "We must fight the AfD politically and name and expose their absurd views."
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The CSU, led by Markus Söder, advocates for a nationwide classification of the AfD as "definitely right-wing extremist," despite his opposition to an outright ban. Söder believes that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution could contribute to this classification, citing the party's opposition to democracy and potential harm to security and prosperity.
Source: www.ntv.de
