The ban  » alternative  » ‘: Will Germany be punished by the Main Pro -Russian Party

At the end of last week, the political scene of Germany shook well. Federal Agency for the Protection of the Constitution, Internal Special Service, Classified the far -right and pro -Russian party « Alternative for Germany » (« Adn ») as a Right -extremist.

This decision has seriously intensified the debate on the possible ban on the party. The potential start of the process and the prohibition itself can have far -reaching consequences.

Not so much later the mentioned agency to protect the Constitution put on a pause Its order, deciding to wait for the court’s decision to apply for « ADN » to issue a prohibition to recognize the party as a right -hand -extreme one.

Such caution is not surprising. After all, « Adn » in today’s Germany is a long time ago not a marginal party of radical opposition.

She took second place in early elections in February, since then she became popular in recent polls came out in the first place by bypassing the Conservative Union of CDU/CSU Now the Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Every fourth voter, and therefore millions of people, supports this political force.

The party’s ban carries great political risks for those who will go. So it’s no wonder Friedrich Merz and his union while they are in no hurry to maintain such a step.

In addition, the ban will create risks to all German democracy, as it can provoke a radicalization of a large part of German society.

Nevertheless, there are more and more votes in Germany, especially from the left political spectrum, insist that at least consider the possibility of ban. Moreover, it will not be a precedent, because such experience in the history of the country is.

« Incompatible with a liberal-democratic system »

But first let’s stop briefly on what means Decision of the Federal Office On the protection of the Constitution of May 2, when the « ADN » was declared as confirmed by the Right -extremist.

In general, there are three levels of classifications for associations that can violate the Constitution and threaten the country’s democratic order: « subject to verification », « suspected right -handed » and « confirmed extremist intentions ».

Until May 2, ADN had the status of a suspect in the right extremism, and three of its regional branches-in Thurinium, Saxony and Saxony-Angalt-were declared confirmed by the Right-handsome.

If the association is considered a suspect in the right extremism, then the agency can supervise it using certain intelligence agents. If the extremist intentions of the association or group (or the whole party, as in the case of « ADN ») are confirmed, then the level of supervision is deepened. It may include, including listening to conversations and entering into the observed organization of intelligence agents.

Lawyers claim that decisions dated May 2 actually announced the right extremist of each member « Adn« . And what about them can now apply enhanced reconnaissance supervision.

The Federal Office has worked on the expert opinion on the « Alternative for Germany ».

The final report on more than 1100 pages states that the « ethnic understanding of the people », which prevails in the party, « incompatible with the liberal-democratic system », and « Adn » does not consider Germans with migration past from Muslim countries equal members of the German people.

In addition, party policies are constantly campaigning against refugees and migrants, and the party’s statements and positions and leading AdN representatives violate the principle of human dignity.

Of course that « Adn » could not swallow such a sentence in their address and Immediately appealed him in court. And has achieved intermediate success – This decision is now temporarily recalled.

But is there « alternative » chances of rehab?

The party went to court in 2021, when it was found suspected of extremism – and lost.

However, in Germany, there were questions about this decision, even with those who support it. In particular, for timing.

The Agency for the Protection of the Constitution is subordinated to the German Ministry of Internal Affairs, headed by Nancy Feser, who as of May 2, remained in office for four days. May 6 in Germany The new government was oath.

The announcement of such an important decision a few days before the end of the service of the current Ministry from the SPD was asked about his political involvement that Nancy Feser himself denied. Like, the Constitution protection department is an independent body that makes the decision on its own, and the work on the review « ADN » was conducted for months.

And it seems that the decision was not really in a hurry to have time to end the authority of the old government.

According to the German press, the Constitution protection department wanted to announce its verdict at the end of last year. However, the collapse of the Coalition and the early elections to the Bundestag threw these plans.

It was even more risky before the election in February 2025, which would definitely raise even more questions about political involvement.

Prohibit cannot be left

The adn announcement has been confirmed by the right -hand -extreme discussions on the ban on this party – discussions, which, however, is not something new to Germany. Active discussions on this topic have taken place several times, and have always ended in no avail.

For example, in 2022, when the relationship between « Adn » was reported and the far -right group of « Reichsburgers » – and later, in 2024, when it became known about a closed meeting in Potsdam, at which representatives of « alternatives for Germany », among others, discussed the expulsion of millions of people of migration origin.

The Constitutional Court has the power to prohibit the party in Germany.

In order for him to start such an analysis of ADN, the Bundestag, the Bundesrat or the Federal Government must submit a request.

In February this year, the Bundestag tried to push the appropriate initiative. However, there were only 124 votes – too little to start the process.

Now, after the decision of the Constitution protection department, supporters of the adn prohibition hope that their ranks will be replenished with like -minded people. Some deputies demand that the party prohibit immediately, while others are in favor of studying this issue.

In particular, the left promised to « do their best » to initiate the ban, and the Green Party expressed its openness to negotiations on the subject.

Politicians in federal lands have intensified. The Bremen Parliament, where the Social Democrats go together with the Green and Left Party, made a call for a rapid violation of the prohibition procedure.

But I must say that there is no unity in the federal lands, so it is unlikely that the Bundesrat will appeal to the Constitutional Court.

The new Vicecanzler from SPD Lars KlingBail statedwhat « Adn » is an « attack on Germany » and wants to destroy German democracy. He has made a new government quickly considering future steps towards a party’s potential ban.

But Chancellor Merz responded extremely restrained.

He stated that the ADN report should be carefully analyzed and refused to talk about any action before the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Instead, the Ministry of Internal Affairs head Alexander Dobrindt from the CSU directly opposed the ban. Like, it will only become « water on the mill » of far -right, who will make a sacrifice of « anti -democratic Berlin ».

In general, many CDU/CSS politicians are prone to a moderate approach to ADN. They say that the party should not be allowed politically, not legal instruments, so as not to lead to unpredictable catastrophic consequences.

Precedents of prohibition

The basis for the ban of the party in the German Constitution is Article 21, which states that unconstitutional are parties, which, by their goals or behavior of members, « seek to violate or destroy the free democratic system or jeopardize the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany. »

The main difficulty is that the party should not only systematically strive to destroy the democratic system, but also have the chances of achieving their anti -constitutional goals – and this must be specific evidence.

Successful precedents, when the court found such evidence and forbidden parties, were, though quite long ago. In particular, in the 1950s, the Constitutional Court banned the Reich Socialist Party (SRP) and the German Communist Party (KPD).

However, there were also failed cases that prove that it would not be easy to ban ADN.

Twice the court tried to ban the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD), recently renamed the Batkivshchyna Party.

In 2003, this failed for procedural reasons, since the party’s leadership had agents under the cover of the Constitution protection department, which was thought to influence the NPD decisions. Some of the judges found it an obstacle to the proceedings.

And in 2017, the Court ruled that the party really seeks to destroy the democratic system. However, he did not find specific evidence that would allow the party’s actions to lead to success.

Proponents of the ADN prohibition believe that the popularity of the party increases its chances of achieving potentially unconstitutional goals that the Constitutional Court could take into account.

In addition, the party has a blocking minority in the Parliaments of the Turini and Brandenburg Lands and can therefore block important decisions, such as changes to the constitutions of land or the appointment of judges.

However, opponents of the prohibition of « alternatives for Germany » indicate that there are many shortcomings and even threats to initiating the ban. The most important thing is that this decision would cause a millions of German voters.

Not to mention the possible deterioration of relations with the United States. In particular, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately after declaring the decision of the Constitutional Court of Germany called him « tyranny under the mask ». It is easy to guess what reaction will cause in the White House a party ban, which Trump’s team is frankly sympathetic.

“System Victim”

Much of the voters of the far -right voted for « Adn » not because they are radicals, but because they were disappointed in traditional politicians. The party’s ban would only confirm that the « system » does not work and tries to destroy in all possible ways a « single alternative ».

It is a narrative that « Adn » will be adopted by the legal process against it, and thus will be able to mobilize its supporters more actively not only in Germany but also abroad.

Reaction administration in the US and Hungarian premiere Orbana for recognition « ADN » is right -handed in this context.

Potentially the process may take years and

If the court does not support the ban, the « Adn » will come out of this story as a great winner.

And if the party is still forbidden, nothing prevents it from creating a new one, based on the same ideas as Adn « . And in addition – with the image of a force that is not able to « kill the system ».

However, even without a ban, many politicians and experts in Germany agree that Adn cannot be considered a normal party. Therefore, conversations about its normalization seem to be slow.

It is difficult to imagine that members of the Right -extreme party will be appointed to significant positions, or that Friedrich Merz will allow themselves to play in parliament with « Adn », How did he do it on the eve of the election.

And too after his Chancellor’s approval nearly fiasco.

Author: Christina Bondareva,

The « European Truth » journalist