Parties: Klingbeil against AfD ban proceedings at this time

In the debate about a ban on the AfD, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil warned against hasty action. “I think we have to be a little careful that it doesn’t look like a political move to want to ban the AfD,” said Klingbeil in an interview with the German Press Agency. “The time may come when you have to protect yourself against the enemies of democracy, but there must be sufficient materials on the table for this.” Now the Office for the Protection of the Constitution must continue its work.

A few days ago, a ruling by the North Rhine-Westphalian Higher Administrative Court in Münster reignited the debate about an AfD ban. The judges had decided that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution’s classification of the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist case was legal. This means that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution can continue to use intelligence resources to monitor the party.

Klingbeil said he felt the verdict strengthened his own assessment that the AfD as a whole was a right-wing extremist party. If there is enough material against the party for a ban procedure, then the next steps must be taken. “But at this point in time I think it’s right to make it very clear that the authorities and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution should continue to work and continue to evaluate.”

Klingbeil called it one of the greatest tasks for his generation of politicians to fight the AfD politically. With a view to the European elections, he added: “Everyone has to know that a vote for the AfD is ultimately a vote for Russia. You can see that from the fact that the money flowed directly there.” Klingbeil was alluding to the public prosecutor’s investigation against AfD member of the Bundestag Petr Bystron due to initial suspicion of bribery and money laundering. According to media reports, he is accused of accepting money from Russia.