A FDP politician, Linda Teuteberg, has expressed skepticism about the AfD ban debate in the German Bundestag. “I consider the current proposal for a party ban to be politically unwise and juristically risky” she told the Rheinische Post (Tuesday edition).
Teuteberg emphasized that democracy should not resort to the harshest of measures, such as a party ban, in response to its detractors. “The AfD must be taken seriously and addressed in a political manner. Otherwise, it will be given a martyr narrative for the Bundestag election campaign.”
She highlighted that the AfD often provides simple but false answers and that a party ban is not a normal regulatory instrument, but rather an absolute last resort. “This is not a quick fix for a Bundestag election” she said.
Teuteberg also criticized some lawmakers for an undifferentiated stance, stating that not all members of the Bundestag have the ability to distinguish between opposing a party ban and recognizing the danger posed by the self-proclaimed Alternative for Germany.
A cross-party group of over a hundred lawmakers, led by CDU politician Marco Wanderwitz, plans to discuss a proposal in the Bundestag plenum this week, which includes the demand to initiate a party ban procedure before the Federal Constitutional Court against the AfD.