FLASH NEWS
German Vice Chancellor Calls for Review of AfD Ban
2025-08-23 21:17:34 / BOTA
German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil called on August 23 for the possibility of banning the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to be reconsidered in light of evidence made public by domestic intelligence agencies.
"We must fight the enemies of democracy," he told Germany's Funke Media Group.
"Whether the detention procedures can succeed should be decided by assessing the findings of intelligence agencies," he added.
Klingbeil, co-leader of the Social Democrats (SPD) in the coalition led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said the government cannot sit idly by if a party that is openly far-right aims to destroy Germany's democracy.
"For this reason, the Democrats are obliged to seriously consider the possibility of legal proceedings to ban the AfD," he said.
Germany's domestic intelligence agency - known as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution - in May declared the AfD a "right-wing extremist group".
The use of this term was later suspended, while an appeal filed by this party with the Court of Appeal is being considered.
State-level intelligence agencies have made similar classifications for local branches of the AfD, the largest opposition party in Germany.
While Klingbeil's SPD is calling for the creation of a working group to gather evidence of whether the AfD is acting unconstitutionally, Merz's conservative bloc remains skeptical and believes that legal proceedings could increase support for the AfD.
A request for a ban can be submitted by either of the two houses of Parliament or by the Government, and only Germany's Constitutional Court has the power to impose the ban./REL
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