The debate surrounding the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has intensified following its classification as right-wing extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. This classification has sparked calls for a potential party ban, proposed by constitutional lawyer Hermann Heußner. Heußner stresses the urgency of considering a ban and draws parallels to historical precedents, arguing that the situation is not irreparable.
The controversy escalated with the leak of a report detailing the extremist classification. The report highlights statements from prominent AfD figures like Alice Weidel, which are deemed to be against democracy, as well as xenophobic and Islamophobic. It categorizes these statements into themes such as ethnic-nationalist views, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and anti-democratic principles.
In response, the AfD has filed a lawsuit challenging its classification, seeking an urgent judicial decision. The administrative court in Cologne is set to handle this matter quickly. A separate party ban procedure could be initiated by the Bundestag, the federal government, or the Bundesrat, requiring a decision from the Federal Constitutional Court.
The classification has had significant ramifications across Germany. In Brandenburg, as well as in other states like Thuringia and Saxony, the AfD has been similarly classified, which the party dismisses as arbitrary. The extensive 1,108-page report includes alarming rhetoric from the AfD, such as threats of a "war against the government" and calls for mass deportations, further fueling the debate over the party's extremist stance.
