Following showcase conversation - The AfD party has initiated legal action against Dreyer and the government.
The far-right group, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has taken legal action against Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister President, Malu Dreyer (SPD), and the state government in the Constitutional Court of Rhineland-Palatinate. The lawsuit was filed at the Koblenz Regional Court last week, and a court spokesperson confirmed the news on Monday. The case revolves around an appeal to hold a protest dubbed "Sign Against the Right" on January 18 this year on the state government's online platform and social media accounts. Reports had surfaced in the media, including Nachrichten von Rhein-Zeitung, regarding this protest. AfD, which is involved in both federal and state levels, argues that the state violated neutrality requirements.
The Constitutional Court spokesperson continued, stating that the defendants had the typical three-month period to respond.
At the January 18 protest in front of Mainz's main train station, Dreyer, along with other cabinet members, actively participated. According to a press release released by the state government on January 17, Dreyer said, "I urge all democratic forces to attend the demonstration, express solidarity, and create a unifying statement against racism and far-right extremism in Germany and Rhineland-Palatinate."
In a separate statement from the State Chancellery on January 18, Dreyer declared that the public announcements of expulsion plans were a highly disturbing climax of far-right extremist thinking spread by prominent AfD members.
Prior to these events, Correctiv reported on a meeting of right-wing radicals in a Potsdam villa on November 25. During this gathering, various AfD members, as well as CDU and Value Union members, were present. Martin Sellner, the former head of the far-right extremist Identitarian Movement in Austria, spoke about "repatriation." This term, in the context of right-wing extremism, often implies forcibly removing a significant number of people of foreign origin from the country.
- Press release of the Constitutional Court of Rhineland-Palatinate on the appeal by the Landesregierung to the demonstration (from January 17, 2024)
- Press release from the government chancellery with statements from Dreyer (from January 18, 2024)
- Press release from the AfD of Rhineland-Palatinate (from January 22, 2024)
