Several SPD politicians are calling for an examination of whether the passive suffrage of Björn Höcke, leader of the AfD in Thuringia, can be revoked. Thuringian Interior Minister Georg Maier told the “Handelsblatt” that Article 18 of the Basic Law should also be considered. This article allows the Federal Constitutional Court to strip individuals of certain fundamental rights, including the right to stand for election, if they misuse these rights in a campaign against the liberal democratic basic order. Maier noted that the process might proceed faster in Höcke’s case because it only involves one person and the evidence against him is clear. However, the minister also expressed caution, fearing that the action could inadvertently increase Höcke’s significance and allow him to continue dictating the party’s direction from behind the scenes.
Despite these concerns, SPD politician Ralf Stegner insists that action is necessary. He told the “Handelsblatt” that the potential revocation of voting rights must be seriously examined as a tool of defensive democracy. Meanwhile, SPD domestic politician Sebastian Fiedler pointed out that current criminal law already includes very effective and significant options for revoking passive suffrage. Furthermore, the coalition agreement stipulates the withdrawal of passive suffrage upon multiple convictions for incitement to hatred.
