A former Green party leader, Ricarda Lang, has expressed support for a working group of the federal and state governments to re-examine all evidence for a potential ban of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Lang stated in an interview with the TV channel “ntv” that the mothers and fathers of the German constitution had given them the instrument of a ban to deal with parties that use democratic means to gain power, only to abolish democracy when in power.
Lang rejected the argument that the report of the domestic intelligence agency, the Verfassungsschutz, is not sufficient for a ban. She argued that the creation of a working group is a response to the criticism that the existing report is insufficient. The group would thoroughly examine all the evidence, Lang said, adding that there are enough evidence to justify such a move.
According to Lang, if a party actively works against the democratic order and seeks to destroy it, the limits of democracy must be defended. She referred to Article 21 of the German constitution, which states that parties that pursue goals or the behavior of their supporters that aim to impede or abolish the free democratic basic order or threaten the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany are unconstitutional. The Federal Constitutional Court ultimately decides on the question of unconstitutionality and a ban can be initiated by the Bundestag, the Bundesrat, or the federal government.