German government weighs banning political opponents to ‘defend democracy’

The German government is considering placing a ban on an increasingly popular Right-leaning political party to “defend democracy.”

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier appeared to call for a ban on Alternative for Germany (AfD), reported the Telegraph Monday. AfD, a party which has surged to 21% in the polls, is now being declared “racist” by the Social Democrats, the country’s ruling party.

“[W]e all have it in our hands to put those who despise our democracy in their place,” Steinmeier said after the country’s domestic spy chief warned about AfD “spreading hate” against minorities.

“We see a considerable number of protagonists in this party that spread hate against all types of minorities here in Germany,” said Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) President Thomas Haldenwang.

A Social Democrats co-leader has said that AfD should be banned from politics if BfV declares the party to be a group of “proven Right-wing extremists.”

Nonprofit organization German Institute for Human Rights claims “the AfD have reached a degree of dangerousness that they can be banned according to the constitution.”

German media are encouraging the possible ban. "The AfD has become more and more radicalized. It’s time to defend democracy with better weapons," wrote Der Spiegel. 

Reports suggest the AfD is racist because Björn Höcke, one of the AfD’s leaders, has used “Hitler-esque language,” referring to a statement he made in 2019: “When the turning point is reached, then we Germans won’t do things by halves, we will dispose of the rubbish heaps of modernity.” Höcke was compared to Hitler after a journalist suggested the remark sounded like a quote from Mein Kampf.

In January, AfD Health Policy Coordinator Martin Sichert brought legal action against a German judge who ordered a Holocaust survivor to be forcibly vaccinated against COVID-19. AfD has been vocally opposed to COVID-19 restrictions, particularly vaccine mandates.

“Nobody should be forced against their will to take part in a medical experiment – of any kind, not even corona gene therapy – especially not vulnerable people undergoing psychiatric treatment,” said Sichert in a statement. “Article 2 of the Basic Law protects the right to physical integrity. This right is taken away from the elderly woman. The fact that Inna Zhvanetskaya is also a Holocaust survivor makes this case even more outrageous.”

But AfD’s popularity and 83 seats in Parliament present a threat to the Social Democrats. Last year, the government convinced a German court to allow surveillance of AfD party members, claiming it is a “suspicious” party that “stands for racism.” 

The Telegraph acknowledges that “[w]hen the Nazis came to power, they banned all other parties.”