Germany’s Social Democratic Party says first legal steps should be taken to ban the far-right AfD party as unconstitutional. Conservative lawmakers are less keen on the idea.
A number of Germany’s conservative lawmakers have called for a cautious approach after the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the junior coalition partner, on Sunday passed a motion calling for preparations to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The debate on whether to ban the AfD, which forms the strongest opposition force in parliament, has gained momentum after it was reclassified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency in May as a “confirmed right-wing extremist” group — an assessment that is now under court review after a legal challenge by the party.
While I agree with the goal, this doesn’t make the underlying voter sentiment go away. What is the German government doing to address the underlying reasons for AFD’s rise? Regardless of their veracity, those thoughts are prevalent enough to cause this problem. While they might lessen, they won’t simply go away with the party if it’s banned. They have to be addressed, one way or another. I’m in the US, and I would argue that, out side of his base, most Trump voters don’t like the guy at all. Yet the Democrats’ “We’re not them” message has so far not been an consistent winner!
This completely ignores the fact that the AfD is a key part of encouraging that sentiment. They get paid tax money to promote hate and undermine democracy. Millionaires get tax credit by funding them. Media is forced to give them space. All this ends when they’re banned. Will the same people try again and again? Yes, but democracy is about fighting again and again for your rights.
Peoples opinions are very much shaped by social pressure.
Exactly. This is a bandaid / plaster.
Deal with the real problem. Be honest about why people are upset. Let them actually speak their minds without judgement. Then, analyse it. Find solutions.
Banning a social movement of this scale is madness.
It’s a very American viewpoint to believe that sentiments just spring up organically with no influence from political leaders and their role in the whole process is to take opinion polls and only then decide what they believe.
Taking away the microphones of hate-mongers doesn’t make hate cease to exist, but it pushes it back into the shadows and cuts off an avenue for it to breed. The US would be a less hateful and less fascist place if Donald Trump was in prison. Leaders can drive the conversation and mainstream fringe ideas. The Democratic establishment just chooses not to.
Ban them, and make a sweet, sweet deal with Nayib Bukkake in El Salvador to house these terrorists in CECOT. He’s still smarting from being called out for housing innocent Venezuelans in that concentration camp, plus he needs the money real bad.
The voter sentiment that got them this far isn’t going to go away, is it?
Also doesn’t help that SPD betrays their voters every chance they get, consistently as long as I can remember. Hallo geht raus an cum-ex würfel Olaf
I concur with other comments, you can’t wish voters away.
