AfD classified as extreme-right: what now?
Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as "confirmed right-wing extremist" due to the party's disregard for human dignity and mounting indications of efforts to subvert the free democratic order. Europe's press debates what actions the ruling could and should prompt.
The dangers of a ban
German Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz faces a difficult decision, writes the Aargauer Zeitung:
“If he speaks out against ban proceedings, he will have to live with the accusation that he is taking the threat too lightly. ... If, on the other hand, the new government were to apply for a ban, it would be taking a considerable risk: firstly, the AfD could say it was being unfairly treated. And if it were to emerge victorious from a court case that might drag on for years, it could present itself with a court-issued clean bill of health. If, on the other hand, the AfD were banned, some of its members would probably found new, even more radical successor parties. Years would pass before these could be banned.”
Waiting is no longer an option
Der Tagesspiegel says it's time for a ban:
“It's an illusion to believe that all we have to do now is make better policies and voters will react rationally and objectively. The effects of sitting it out or waiting can be seen in neighbouring countries as well as in the US. ... One thing is certain: democracy can abolish itself. And the constitutional state can try to defend itself against such endeavours. ... Waiting until democracy fails, until courts are no longer respected and the political system is reorganised is not an option. Fortunately, there is no democratic right to vote in favour of an anti-constitutional party. The time for court proceedings is now.”
Defeat the party at the ballot box
The classification of the AfD as right-wing extremist must not culminate in a ban, Politiken warns:
“The AfD is hugely popular in Germany - according to some opinion polls it's currently the strongest party in the country. A ban harbours the risk of it becoming a kind of martyr and further increasing its appeal. Far-right populists must be defeated at the ballot box, not in court. There is an unhealthy trend of parties and party leaders on the far right being banned from elections in countries such as France and Romania. Germany has an unusually dark history, but here too, democracy must be guaranteed by free elections and not by legislative bans.”
Win them over with politics
Naftemporiki writes about AfD voters:
“The vast majority of these people are certainly not right-wing extremists or Nazis. They are citizens who no longer trust the ability or even the will of the traditional parties to solve the big problems. The accusation of right-wing extremism against the party they voted for may scare them, but it won't make them change their minds. It may even make them angrier. ... Only a consistent political and ideological confrontation with the ideas of the far right could still convince all those who adhere to their views.”