German Minister-President Seeks Review of Possible AfD Ban

Hendrik Wüst, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia, has called for an examination of the constitutional options for a possible ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

He spoke days after the AfD’s victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, where the party won 43.8% of the vote and could still lead a minority government. According to DPA, Wüst has proposed a working group made up of representatives from all 16 states and the federal government.

Wüst warned that banning a political party could only be a last resort to protect the constitution. He said the broader question was how the state should deal constitutionally with a party pursuing anti-constitutional aims in at least some states.

Under German law, only the Federal Constitutional Court can ban a political party, following an application by the Bundestag, the Bundesrat or the federal government.

The AfD’s branches in Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia have all been classified as confirmed right-wing extremist by their respective state domestic intelligence agencies.

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