Calls for ban on far-right AfD party in Germany

At the parliament in Erfurt, in the eastern German state of Thuringia, last week, chaos broke out over the far-right AfD party becoming the largest group in the state parliament after winning elections in early September.

On September 26, AfD politician Jürgen Treutler, as the oldest member of parliament at 73, was given the right to chair the first session of the new legislative term. Through his actions, the session prevented the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and other parties from nominating candidates for the presidency.

The CDU challenged this at the Thuringian Constitutional Court and was successful. When the session resumed two days later, CDU politician Thadäus König was elected as the new speaker of the state parliament.

AfD leaders Timo Chrupalla and Alice Weidel celebrated a series of good results in the recent state elections. Photo: DW

Now that parliament is back in session, it is debating how to deal with the AfD in its next term. The Thuringia Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which monitors extremist movements in Germany, has classified the party as “right-wing extremist” for 2021.

On September 26, Mr. Georg Maier, leader of the German Social Democratic Party of Thuringia and currently acting Minister of the Interior, spoke out in support of taking legal action before the Federal Constitutional Court to ban the AfD.

"Today's events in the Thuringian state parliament have shown that the AfD is taking decisive action against parliamentarianism. I think this means that the prerequisites for a ban have been met," he said on social network X.

CDU member Marco Wanderwitz is now pushing for a joint motion that would see the Bundestag vote on the ban. To do so, at least 5% of lawmakers would have to back his proposal, which would be 37 out of 733. Wanderwitz said in June that they had reached that number.

Article 21 of the German Constitution, the Basic Law, states: "Parties which, by reason of their aims or the conduct of their supporters, seek to undermine or abolish the free democratic basic order or endanger the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany shall be considered unconstitutional."

Ngoc Anh (according to DW)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/xuat-hien-nhieu-loi-keu-goi-cam-dang-cuc-huu-afd-o-duc-post314885.html