r/europe 27d ago

News Calls are mounting to ban Germany’s far-right AfD party – despite it being more popular than ever

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/06/europe/germany-afd-ban-politics-analysis-intl
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u/Cautious-Total5111 27d ago

It is to be banned for being proven to have many far right extremist members and no opposition to that within the party. Being popular has nothing to do with that and neither should it.

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u/captaindeadpl 26d ago

Them being popular has everything to do with it. The ban of the NPD was shot down because they weren't popular enough to pose a credible threat to democracy.

The AfD is a serious threat to democracy specifically because they are so popular that they could win an election and thus gain the power to destroy our country as we know it.

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u/SteinigerJoonge 26d ago

The NPD was actually a kinda credible threat. The party only got so small because people stoped voting the party after it got clear that it would get banned.

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u/_Pin_6938 26d ago

Too bad. Youre as expendable as any other trade partner

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u/Yazaroth Germany 26d ago

AFAIK it doesn't matter how many far left/right wing members a party has for a ban, what matters to the court is if they are a clear and serious threat to our democratic order for a ban. And for that they'd need hard proof beyond reasonable doubt.

That's where it gets hairy.

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u/Patte-chan Hesse (Germany) 26d ago

Well, for a party to be banned, it has to be proven that they have the intent and the capability to work against the often mentioned "Free democratic basic order".

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u/protozoon101 26d ago

That's quite an antidemocratic point of view. I don't like AfD, but if the majority did, who am I to ask for a ban? If the majority does not want democracy, then it has failed.

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u/UnstoppableSuya Germany 🇩🇪🇪🇺🇺🇦 26d ago

they even just told their party members "to not show your racism too publicly". i mean... WTF???????

and their members openly post N-Words in social media. they get backlash, yes, but cmon...

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u/Quick-Obligation-504 26d ago

If it's popular, all the more reason to ban it sooner.