Incoming German interior minister voices opposition on banning AfD
(MENAFN) Incoming German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has voiced opposition to banning the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, even after the country’s domestic security agency (BfV) officially labeled it as a "confirmed extremist entity" last week. Dobrindt, along with other senior center-right politicians, argued that the party should not be banned but rather diminished through effective governance and open discussions about the reasons behind its rising popularity.
The BfV’s decision, which grants the agency the authority to monitor the AfD’s activities, does not have the power to ban the party outright. Only the Federal Constitutional Court has the authority to declare a party unconstitutional. Dobrindt, speaking to ARD on Sunday, stated his belief that banning the AfD would only fuel its influence and advocated for addressing the issues that have led to its growing support.
In February’s snap election, the AfD secured second place, behind the center-right Christian Democrats. Recent polls show the two parties are almost tied, with the AfD even leading in one survey by the Forsa Institute.
Also speaking on Sunday, Dobrindt warned that a ban on the AfD would play into the party's narrative, reinforcing their message. CDU Secretary General Carsten Linnemann also noted that many AfD voters are motivated by protest, asserting that "you can’t ban protest." Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann emphasized that being labeled extremist does not automatically justify a ban, and criticized those pushing for an AfD ban before the full report from the BfV had been released.
The BfV’s recent designation of the AfD as extremist was based on the party’s disregard for human dignity and its emphasis on ethnic and descent-based notions of identity, which the agency said conflicts with Germany’s democratic values. In response, the AfD announced it would be filing a lawsuit against the BfV in Cologne’s administrative court.
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