Will they ban AfD?

[Richard A]

Reports on the BBC of allegations that the AfD held a meeting that discussed mass deportations of German citizens who didn't meet the party's definition of German. And that the government is considering banning them in consequence. They've struck me as a dangerous menace for a while, so perhaps it's about time.

Of course, here, we don't have a constitution, let alone one that allows the government to ban a political party. Think about it - various British governments have helped places from Germany to Hong Kong draft their own constitutions (or Basic Laws, as in both those cases), but have never got around to suggesting we have one! But anyway, the closest we come to Germany's power to ban political parties on the basis that they oppose freedom and democracy is the power to ban an organisation on the basis that it supports terrorism. The UK definition of terrorism is basically use or threat of violence to people or property for an ideological cause, so that could include some of our far-right groups, but sadly it's never been used against them. On the other hand, given who Suella Braverman would have happily banned if she'd thought she could get away with it and that others like her are waiting in the wings to go for being the next Tory leader, possibly the less it's used here, the better.

Oh and I smiled at the claim that German intelligence had used Stasi-like tactics to infiltrate the meeting. A popular right-wing stunt. Schätzchen, a democratic government is allowed to spy on people it has reason to believe are literally fascists. It's not allowed to spy on just anyone it doesn't like, but it can - and should - keep an eye on people who seek to undermine democracy. "Protection of the Constitution" - the clue is in the name. One could wait until they actually hold an armed uprising - but wait, Germany tried that approach in the past and it didn't work out too well.

[Arneb]

The meeting did take place, they undoubtedly discussed how, when and where to "dispose of" of people not "German enough", but it's not the motivation for thinking about banning AfD. AfD has been drifting to the right from its inception. Three of its State-level associations are classified as "proven" to be right-wing extremist in the eyes of the Verfassungsschutz - but these are also the three State organizations that could gain a plurality in the State Assembly elections of this autumn.

While I don't doubt anymore that the AfD as a whole is fighting aggressively to overturn the German constitution (which is what would have to be proven before the Constitutional Court in order to win a prohibition order), this whole discussion is probably a non-starter. More thatn 30 percent of voters in those three East German States (Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia) don't go away, and they would find other ways to exspress themselves. Neither would the network of party comrades just disappear, only their money and their organisational structure.

The only way to save Germany from a new fascist gouvernment is for less people to vote for a fascist party. Kind of like with Trump. He certainly deserves jail for his multitude of crimes including treason and sedition; he is most certainly unworthy of being on any ballott, but in the end, only the American voters can stop him. And, as I am afraid, won't.

[Arneb]

As usual, Greser&Lenz have it down pat: