"We can't ban everything we don't like"
Former Federal President Gauck takes a clear stance in the debate about banning the AfD. He thinks nothing of such an idea. Instead, he is in favor of clearly outing the party in the debate.
Former Federal President Joachim Gauck thinks nothing of a debate about banning the Alternative for Germany (AfD). "We can't ban everything we don't like," he told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper. "It is just as nonsensical to say that anyone who votes for the AfD is automatically a Nazi," said Gauck.
"Some of these people want everything to go back to the way it used to be - and preferably without foreigners. Unfortunately, these people don't ask who then harvests the strawberries and asparagus." Germany would be nicer without the AfD, said Gauck. But: "The AfD was elected in free elections, society has granted it political dignity," he explained. "I believe our democracy is strong enough to debate so intensively with a party that acts in a national-populist to nationalist manner that it will be defeated in a dispute of opinion."
CDU member of parliament Marco Wanderwitz recently drafted a motion to ban the AfD. He is currently looking for supporters. "The AfD is a racist, anti-Semitic and right-wing extremist party," the draft states, according to Der Spiegel. "Human dignity and the ban on discrimination are now being blatantly questioned by the AfD, its leading functionaries and numerous elected officials and members." The motion calls on the Bundestag to apply to the Federal Constitutional Court to declare the AfD unconstitutional, dissolve it and confiscate its assets for charitable purposes.
In nationwide polls, the AfD currently achieves 19 to 22 percent. This puts it in second place after the CDU/CSU. State elections are due next year in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia. The AfD recently scored more than 30 percent in polls there.
Read also:
- +++ 08:25 ISW: Russian bloggers give defense contractor social media training +++
- Internet companies continue to trick EU consumers
Despite the concerns about the AfD's stance on right-wing extremism and discriminatory practices, former Federal President Joachim Gauck believes that the party should not be banned, as it was elected through free elections and advocates for engaging with them in debate to counter their nationalist views. On the other hand, CDU member of parliament Marco Wanderwitz is pushing for a motion to ban the AfD, labeling it as a racist, anti-Semitic, and right-wing extremist party.
Source: www.ntv.de
