Law Germany considers banning its Second Biggest Political Party.

[650lb Sumo]

AfD: Germans float ban on elected far-right party after scandal

Germans are angered by reports that AfD figures joined a meeting that discussed mass deportations.

www.bbc.co.uk

Germany is wrestling with a potentially explosive debate over whether to ban the far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD.

Germans have been shocked by revelations that senior figures attended a meeting where mass deportations were allegedly discussed.

A growing backlash has sparked large protests and public condemnation.

The AfD, which continues to poll second nationally, says it's being scandalously smeared by opponents.

"Panic is spreading. We can smell your fear," AfD MP Bernd Baumann declared this week, addressing politicians from the ruling coalition parties.

Baumann

It was investigative outlet Correctiv that released a bombshell report about a 'secret' meeting at a hotel near Berlin in November involving around 20 people - including senior AfD figures and neo-Nazi influencers.

At least two members of the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, were also said to be present - claims being 'examined' by party officials.

Discussion allegedly focused on so-called 'remigration' - the removal of millions of asylum seekers, 'non-assimilated' people and those with 'non-German' backgrounds, even if they hold residency rights and citizenship.

Since its release the report has sparked large anti-AfD rallies, including in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg, and more are due to take place this weekend.

Friday's anti-AfD protest in Hamburg was the biggest so far but more cities are holding demos this weekend.

"A ban makes no sense" said Dr Horst Meier, a constitutional lawyer who believes it would be legally possible but ill-advised.

Meier

"The competition between parties needs to happen on the political stage, not in court," he told the BBC.

The German constitution says that parties that seek to undermine or abolish the 'free democratic basic order' should be deemed unconstitutional.

Alternative für Deutschland has been enjoying record success in the polls in a significant election year, placing second behind the CDU and ahead of all three coalition parties; the Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats.

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Seems like AFD is 'dangerous to our democracy'.

Edit: The site keeps messing my post up by adding spoilers.

 

[Chad R. Thundercock]

Lol. I had a feeling someone was going to start this thread.

Anyway, I'll leave this graph here and you can draw your own conclusions:

 

[GoldenWolf87]

Interesting that the German Liberals had chosen Hamburg for their protest.
Crime had being increasing in the past few years there.

 

[The Big Yin]

Far right you say? Does that mean they're socially and financially liberal, but want to prevent foreign nationals raping people?

 

[Cole train]

Pardon my ignorance but isnt banning a party that has gotten popular because people voted for it kinda nazi thing to do?

Like it doesnt exactly scream democracy if party people voted for gets banned

 

[Lord_Impaler]

Defending democracy by banning political opponents.

 

[Sweater of AV]

 

[650lb Sumo]

The leader of the AfD is Alice Weidel, a lesbian in a civil union with a Sri Lankan woman with Swiss citizenship, Sarah Bossard.

Weidel speaks Chinese and opposes gay marriage. The couple have two adopted sons.

 

[PBAC]

I have heard many of their members have been discovered to be closet nazis

when they show on my feed, FR in general, the comments usually involve purifying the world, massacring homeless people and killing disabled people and stressing that without Hitler Nazism can go mainstream. During the pandemic the Netherlands some of them went public with their views on disabled people.

 

[CantCucktheTuck]

I have heard many of their members have been discovered to be closet nazis

when they show on my feed, FR in general, the comments usually involve purifying the world, massacring homeless people and killing disabled people and stressing that without Hitler Nazism can go mainstream. During the pandemic the Netherlands some of them went public with their views on disabled people.

Sure bud

 

[Andy Capp]

I have heard many of their members have been discovered to be closet nazis

when they show on my feed, FR in general, the comments usually involve purifying the world, massacring homeless people and killing disabled people and stressing that without Hitler Nazism can go mainstream. During the pandemic the Netherlands some of them went public with their views on disabled people.

Many of them are not so closeted, I think.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Far right you say? Does that mean they're socially and financially liberal, but want to prevent foreign nationals raping people?

Exactly - they are literally worse than Hitler!

 

[PBAC]

Sure bud

outside the mainstream the under current of comments looks more like these:

• "my hand raises to the air every day."
• "The painter knew."
• Good soldiers follow orders…"
• "We are so back, his spirit will rise and they will see."
• : "we are so back."
• Have to do the century cleansing, usually do early to mid century
• "We crave violence it genetic"
• "finally time for the empire strikes back

 

[Richmma80]

About.
Fucking.
Time.

 

[PBAC]

anyway the point here is that the encouragement of nazism is illegal in Germany for some reason and the AfD is one of the less subtle parties when it comes to what they support. So the question is whether or not this displayed support is against the law or not, or whether or not they even legally run because Germany is pretty damn strict when it comes to these things.

The party leaders have openly spoken of returning to pre WW2 policies and frequently talk about restoring the fatherland and utilize overtly nazi slogans and removing post war monuments to Germanys defeat.

 

[The Big Yin]

Pardon my ignorance but isnt banning a party that has gotten popular because people voted for it kinda nazi thing to do?

Like it doesnt exactly scream democracy if party people voted for gets banned

It's a German thing to do. The NSDAP were banned in 1923, so 10 years later the NSDAP repaid the favour and passed a law decreeing them the only legitimate party.

It's almost like history is cyclical

 

[The XL]

Nothing says democracy like banning political parties.

 

[Andy Capp]

About.
Fucking.
Time.

Please elaborate for my sake, will you?

 

[Andy Capp]

anyway the point here is that the encouragement of nazism is illegal in Germany for some reason and the AfD is one of the less subtle parties when it comes to what they support. So the question is whether or not this displayed support is against the law or not, or whether or not they even legally run because Germany is pretty damn strict when it comes to these things.

I can understand the reasoning, and I can understand the legitimate fear of a new rise in white nationalist sentiment, but in today's climate banning the party would be the typical slippery slope you hear of so often in the WR and make martyrs of elected party members and their supporters.

I don't know the best course of action here since it seems equally unwise to allow the possibility a neo-Nazi party could again attain full legislative power there. Opponents need to make a good case for rejecting them and so far, they've been shit at it. Here's hoping things get better rather than worse.

 

[A Very Serious Cat]

Banning the party won't remove the sentiment causing the increase in their popularity, if anything it might strengthen it