The German Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, has expressed a reserved opinion on the possibility of the Bundestag debating a prohibition of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) before the federal election. In an interview with RTL and ntv’s “Frühstart” on Wednesday, Faeser stated that, at the moment, before a federal election, it is important to say what this party actually wants.
The AfD, she said, aims to, among other things, roll back women’s rights, leave the EU, and push for a later retirement age. “I consider this to be a dangerous development, and we need to talk about it today” the SPD politician emphasized.
Faeser does not explicitly support a swift decision by the Bundestag to initiate a prohibition procedure. The party has so far only been classified as a “right-wing extremist suspicion” and not as a “secured right-wing extremist” by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. “In my opinion, this classification is still necessary” the minister said.
She also left open the possibility of a party ban in the future, stating, “Of course, there is a point where one should use these constitutional instruments.”
Initially, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution was expected to make a decision on the AfD’s classification as a “secured right-wing extremist” by the end of last year. However, due to the premature federal election, there were concerns about the moderation rule for civil servants. The federal authority under the Federal Ministry of the Interior has not yet published a new assessment of the AfD. The media outlet “Correctiv” is now seeking to obtain the evaluation through a preliminary injunction at the Administrative Court in Cologne.