German parliament to debate ban on far-right AfD next week ｜ DPA
nordot.app
The German parliament is to debate an application for a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in plenary session for the first time next week, its proposers said in Berlin on Monday. "With its constantly increasing radicalism, the AfD is expressing historically revisionist positions with increasing blatancy," one of the initiators, Marco Wanderwitz of the centre -right CDU, said. He cited a recent statement from AfD co-head Alice Weidel, in which she termed Adolf Hitler a communist. Carmen Wegge of the centre-left SPD called on the Bundestag to open the way for the Constitutional ...

Summary

Germany’s parliament will debate a proposed ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) for the first time next week.

The proposal cites the AfD’s increasing radicalism and historically revisionist statements, such as co-leader Alice Weidel’s claim that Hitler was a communist.

Under Germany’s constitution, a party ban requires proof of opposition to constitutional principles.

Critics warn that a ban could portray the AfD as martyrs.

The AfD currently polls in second place at 20% ahead of February elections.

  • madjo@feddit.nlEnglish
    49·
    12 hours ago

    20%?! What the fuck is wrong with people? I know that there are problems in the world, big problems, but you don’t get rid of those by just saying “Ausländer raus!”

    • slaacaa@lemmy.worldEnglish
      16·
      8 hours ago

      For decades, the elite has been hoarding more and more wealth, while the average worker faces inflation, stagnating wages, and crumbling public services - this is true for most developed countries.

      Same as with Trump in 2016, a large number of German people are (rightfully) dissatisfied, and (mistakenly) think that a radical candidate will solve their problems, and “stick it” to the elite and current ruling parties.

      The answer is the same everywhere - the elite should stop hoarding the wealth that is created by the workers, and the government should use that money to invest into the common needs of the people (e.g. good education, healthcare and public infrastructure). This is the only way that works, but billionaires would rather see fascists on the government that burn countries down, as that doesn’t endanger neoliberal capitalism,

      • bestboyfriendintheworldEnglish
        81·
        7 hours ago

        Wealth distribution (wages, cost of living, housing) is one thing.

        The demographic changes caused by low birth rates and immigration are not to be underestimated. They have a huge impact on identity, outlook towards the future, and societal cohesion.

        A majority of older people, many without children, who only care about their own pensions and benefits are not conducive to societal change, growth, and adaptation. Wealth distribution plays a role here too of course. The younger generations realize they won’t be able to live the lifestyle of their parents is a huge blow to overall morale. Disintegration of institutions (church, unions) only accelerate the alienation and destruction of social cohesion. Families are also much weaker. They are smaller and their members are more likely to live further apart. Divorce adds further instability and disconnection. That all contributes to increased mental health issues and loneliness.

        Society is in crisis in many ways. People promising radical change (back to an imaginary glorious past) become more and more attractive.

    • bassomitron@lemmy.worldEnglish
      38·
      11 hours ago

      People are disgruntled enough to the point that they just want to burn it all down. And these far right radicals/Nazis are often promising that (even though they have zero plans of carrying through and will instead just further enrich themselves at the cost of everything else). This is what happens when you let extreme inequality continue unchecked for decades.

      • Saleh@feddit.orgEnglish
        101·
        8 hours ago

        Keep in mind, that the past decade centrist and right wing media did everything to give the AfD maximum attention and for the past 3 years every party from left of center to right bent over backwards to push themselves to the right and far right. the Greens and Social Democrats passed a law to make deportations easier just a week after investigative journalists uncovered a meeting by the AfD, other Fascists and the CDU to discuss plans for large scale deportations. sitting chancellor Scholz had declared “We need to deport in grand style” a few months earlier.

        Now for the AfD ban innitiation a relevant faction of the Green party want to block it on the basis of “wanting more time, a parliamentary inquiry and not to risk giving the AfD a carte blanche if the ban case fails.” I think it is more because they are worried that some of their right and far right policies could come under scrutiny too.

        The reality is that large parts of German politics have been infiltrated by and wanted to move to the right very hard. They just waited for a pretext to do so, where they don’t end up being the far right all of a sudden.

        I’m just mentioning the Green party as an example, because they used to be a progressive party, left of the social democrats and right of the Left party, and i am dissapointed the most in them. But the CDU is using the same election slogans as the AfD currently and the Bavarian abomination CSU now has posters that look the same to posters of the NPD, which is the skinheads with baseball bats style Nazi-party.


        https://mastodon.social/@peterjelinek/113770253157050313

        https://feddit.org/post/6986463/4242805