First hearing on AfD ban held in Thuringia
In what is the first discussion of its kind in a German parliament, politicians, lawyers and public figures have taken part in a hearing on a potential AfD ban.
On September 30, a hearing took place in Thuringia's state parliament to debate whether the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) should be banned due to alleged threats to Germany's democratic constitution. The event was convened by the left-wing Die Linke party, with comedian Hape Kerkeling among the speakers. Kerkeling emphasized the party's alleged promotion of hatred against minorities and downplaying the atrocities committed during Nazi Germany's rule (1933-1945).
Thuringia's State Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the AfD's local branch as a "proven right-wing extremist" since March 2021, citing Höcke's use of Nazi slogans and the party's promotion of "völkisch nationalism" that discriminates against recent migrants. Despite this classification, the AfD secured 32.8% of the vote in the state election that same year, marking the first far-right victory since World War II.
During the hearing, former CDU politician and Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution president Hans-Georg Maaßen argued that the AfD does not exhibit a hidden agenda to undermine the democratic order, as there is no credible evidence to support this claim. According to a 2025 poll, 54% of Germans oppose banning the AfD, while 41% support the idea.
However, even if the public consensus were unanimously in favor of a ban, the process would be highly complex, requiring approval from the federal government, Bundestag, or Bundesrat. No party has been banned in Germany since the National Socialist-oriented Socialist Reich Party in 1952 and the Stalinist Communist Party of Germany in 1956.
Written by urgent.news from IamExpat Germany (All Germany News)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
