German Greens in the Bundestag Seek New Attempt to Ban the AfD, Involving the Länder this Time
German Greens in the Bundestag are calling for a new attempt to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, this time involving the Länder, or federal states, in the process. The party’s leaders are deemed a threat to the fundamental principles of Germany’s democratic system, according to Konstantin von Notz, the deputy faction leader and Irene Mihalic, the first parliamentary business manager, in an interview with the Funke-Mediengruppe.
Notz and Mihalic emphasized that a ban on the AfD would require careful legal consideration, as it would involve high constitutional requirements. The Greens propose that a Bund-Länder working group be established to gather all available information from the Bund and Länder, allowing all responsible parties to work together towards a swift ban.
The Greens’ statement, signed by Notz and Mihalic, reads: “We cannot stand idly by as a right-wing extremist party attempts to dismantle democracy before our very eyes, fuels social division and is financed by state funds.”
Till Steffen, a Greens’ legal policy expert, also expressed similar views, stating that the establishment of a Bund-Länder working group would enable a joint assessment of the situation and a coordinated approach. He cited the report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which classifies the AfD as a securely right-wing extremist endeavor, as a crucial building block in this effort.