The debate about possible ban proceedings against the AfD has picked up speed again. Former Federal President Gauck has a clear opinion on this.
Former Federal President Joachim Gauck is against an AfD ban. When asked whether he was in favor of initiating such a ban, the 84-year-old told the newspapers of the Funke media group: “No, not at all. My gut feeling would be that the party would warmly support the ban. As a democrat who values the open society, “It really upsets me that we have to allocate resources to the party through party financing. But in politics you can’t just feel.”
Gauck was convinced that a ban would not abolish the party’s electorate. “Rather, we would generate even more anger and even more radicalism – and that would be politically damaging.” In Gauck’s view, insecure conservative citizens who voted for the AfD would see the state as an enemy if the party were banned.
Important constitutional lawyers and political scientists also doubted the usefulness and success of going to Karlsruhe. “We should therefore rely less on government intervention and instead strengthen our own ability to defend democracy,” said Gauck.
A party ban can be applied to the Federal Constitutional Court by the Bundestag, Bundesrat or Federal Government. The AfD would have to be proven in the process that it is aggressively fighting against the constitution. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution observes the party as a suspected right-wing extremist case.
Source: Stern
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