Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for careful consideration regarding the planned proceedings to potentially ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, following a resolution adopted by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) congress. In an interview with the “Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung” (MAZ), part of the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Thursday editions), Steinmeier emphasized the stringent criteria set by the Federal Constitutional Court for such a measure. He stated that any decision to formally initiate a ban application should be made with considerable deliberation.
The head of state also urged democratic parties to intensify their efforts to rebuild public trust. “Trust can only be restored when politics responsibly manages the expectations of people” Steinmeier said. “This does not necessarily mean that every expectation can be fulfilled. We must make a greater effort to demonstrate that democracy also means seeking and implementing compromises in a way that reflects as many interests as possible.
Article 21 of the German Basic Law stipulates that parties aiming to undermine or abolish the fundamental principles of a liberal democratic order, or to endanger the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany, are unconstitutional.
Former Federal Constitutional Court judge Gabriele Britz recently commented on the necessity of a ban application under specific circumstances. Speaking to the “Ist das gerecht?” podcast of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” Britz suggested that such an application might become necessary if there is a high degree of certainty that the conditions for a ban are met and if political efforts to address the issues have been unsuccessful over a period of time.