A public disagreement has emerged between prominent state-level politicians from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) regarding the potential prohibition of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The dispute began earlier this week when Felor Badenberg, Berlin’s Justice Senator for the CDU, declared a nationwide ban on the AfD to be unlikely. This prompted a sharp response from Georg Maier, Interior Minister of Thuringia, who accused Badenberg of lacking expertise on the issue. According to an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung, Maier questioned Badenberg’s assessment, asserting that she appears to be insufficiently informed about the AfD’s activities.
The disagreement between the department heads is escalating tensions within the governing coalition, which is divided on the question of a potential ban. The SPD had previously advocated for preparing a ban procedure at its national party conference in late June. Despite resistance from within the Union, Maier is now urging the coalition to maintain a firm stance, stating that the AfD demonstrably violates human dignity. He specifically criticized the party’s definition of “Volk” (people), claiming it excludes individuals who do not fit a narrow ethnic or cultural framework, effectively creating a system where those outside that definition are treated as second-class citizens.
Maier’s remarks included a direct reference to Badenberg’s personal background, noting that, as a German citizen with a migration history, she could potentially face deportation under the AfD’s stated ideology. Badenberg was born in Iran and immigrated to Germany with her family at the age of twelve.
Maier considers the AfD to be a significant threat to democracy, accusing the party of acting destructively within parliamentary settings, displaying contempt for fellow lawmakers and discrediting legal institutions. He describes their approach as aggressive and combative, with widespread dissemination of conspiracy theories, including claims surrounding a “Great Replacement” of the population. Badenberg, in contrast, recently argued that establishing the necessary legal basis – demonstrating a deliberate and aggressive intention to undermine the democratic order – to initiate a ban is proving difficult.