Jusos urge SPD to take the lead
The youth organization of the German Social Democratic Party (Jusos) is increasing the pressure on the SPD to initiate a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Juso chief Philipp Türmer told the Spiegel that the upcoming SPD federal party convention should decide to immediately launch a ban procedure, citing the overwhelming evidence against the AfD.
Türmer expects the SPD to take the lead on this issue, both at the federal and state levels and is calling for a clear signal to be sent. The Jusos aim to pass a resolution at the party convention, urging the SPD to support a ban on the AfD. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), on the other hand, has so far spoken out against a ban, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stating that the roughly 1,000-page report from the domestic intelligence agency does not provide sufficient grounds for a ban.
Experts, including former Constitutional Court judge Gabriele Britz, disagree with this assessment. In response to the CDU’s resistance, the Jusos are now seeking to exert pressure. According to Türmer, it does not matter whether the ban application is filed through a Bund-Länder group or from the center of the Bundestag, as long as Social Democrats “make tempo at every level”.