International Politics

[benji]

Germany is debating whether to ban the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the party surges to 21 per cent in the polls, amid warnings from intelligence officials that its members are becoming increasingly extreme.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German president, warned in a speech to the country’s domestic intelligence agency that “we all have it in our hands to put those who despise our democracy in their place”.

His speech at the castle where the German post-war constitution was created has widely been seen as support for a ban after Thomas Haldenwang, the domestic spy chief, warned about growing Right-wing extremist influence in the party.

Mr Haldenwang said: “We see a considerable number of protagonists in this party that spread hate against all types of minorities here in Germany.”

It comes amid warnings of the increasing influence of Björn Höcke, the leader of the AfD in the eastern state of Thuringia.

Mr Höcke, a former history teacher, is known for his Hitler-esque language – with his allies sweeping the board for European lists at the party’s conference in Magdeburg in August.

In a rare move, the respected Der Spiegel news magazine weighed into the debate with a leader titled: “Ban the enemies of the constitution!”

It warned that “the AfD has become more and more radicalised. It’s time to defend democracy with better weapons”.

Meanwhile, the German Institute for Human Rights, a non-governmental organisation, declared last week that “the AfD have reached a degree of dangerousness that they can be banned according to the constitution”.

Germans are evenly split on whether the party should be banned, with 47 per cent of the country in favour of a ban and 47 per cent against.

A ban is more popular in the west and among liberal Greens.

What could go wrong with Germany banning a political party rising in the polls. It worked out so well the last two times they did it.