Nov 16, 2024 (MENAFN via COMTEX) --
(MENAFN) A cross-party group in the German Bundestag has submitted a motion calling for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to be banned, accusing it of threatening the country's democratic principles and posing a danger to the state. The AfD, which holds over 80 seats in parliament, has been a prominent right-wing opposition party since its founding in 2013, initially gaining attention for its Euroskeptic stance and later for its anti-immigration rhetoric during the 2015 refugee crisis.
In recent years, the AfD has also criticized Germany's support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, advocating for improved economic ties with Moscow. Party co-chair Tino Chrupalla has voiced opposition to continued financial aid to Ukraine, calling for the return of Russian natural gas to help stabilize Germany's economy.
While the AfD has grown in popularity, especially in eastern Germany, it has been isolated by other major political parties, who accuse it of fostering ties with extremists. In regional elections earlier this year, the AfD made significant gains, winning seats in Thuringia and placing second in Brandenburg and Saxony.
The motion to ban the AfD is led by Marco Wanderwitz, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who argues that the party's actions threaten Germany's democratic order. The motion has garnered support from the Greens, members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the Left Party, though many CDU members and other parties, including the Free Democrats, oppose it. The motion calls on the Federal Constitutional Court to investigate the AfD, potentially declaring it a right-wing extremist group.
The party has yet to respond to the motion, and there are reports suggesting that Germany's domestic security service (BfV) may soon classify the AfD as a "proven right-wing extremist" organization. However, the future of the initiative remains uncertain, as it would require a simple majority in the Bundestag to proceed with a legal case against the AfD.
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COMTEX_459883865/2604/2024-11-16T20:48:18
