extremism
Skepticism about the debate about the AfD’s constitutional protection classification
According to media reports, a new report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution on the AfD is largely completed. photo
© Daniel Karmann/dpa
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution could soon classify the AfD as “certainly right-wing extremist”. However, Union politicians fear that the debate about the report could even benefit the party.
Several Union politicians have warned against excessive expectations if the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution AfD should be classified as “secure right-wing extremist”. According to Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter, “this would not deter potential AfD voters,” as he told the Berlin “Tagesspiegel.” “It would rather lead to a kind of now-more-now mentality, also because of the general dissatisfaction with the work of the federal government.” He called the debate about a ban on the AfD and an alleged new report from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution on the classification of the AfD “unfavorable”.
Thuringia’s CDU leading candidate for the state elections in September, Mario Voigt, is skeptical. “An observation or a ban does not solve the AfD problem and does not solve any of the people’s problems,” he told the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post”. If there are right-wing extremist references at the federal level, the constitutional state must act consistently. “But that doesn’t save us from having to deal with the matter.” Thuringia’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution has already classified the AfD state association as right-wing extremist.
“A kind of ban cacophony has developed”
The chairman of the Interior Ministers’ Conference, Brandenburg’s department head Michael Stübgen (CDU), even fears that the debate could benefit the AfD. “A kind of cacophony of bans has developed that is being exploited by the AfD to portray itself as a political victim of the government,” he told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
The chairman of the Interior Committee in the Bundestag, Lars Castellucci (SPD), also expressed caution. “When politicians warn against other parties, it may seem to people as if we wanted to keep unwanted competition down,” he told the “Tagesspiegel”.
The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” had reported that a new report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution on the AfD was largely completed. The domestic secret service did not want to comment on this on Monday.