Jochen Ott, the SPD’s top candidate for the North Rhine-Westphalia state election, has urged Minister-President Hendrik Wüst of the CDU to collaboratively launch a Bundesrat initiative-a nationwide procedure to ban the Alternative for Germany (AfD)-before the April 2027 election.
Speaking to the “Frankfurter Rundschau”, Ott stated that if the necessary conditions are met, the rule of law must utilize this legal tool. He explicitly offered Wüst the opportunity to initiate this ban process in a cross-party alliance among the political center.
According to Ott, the AfD is continually radicalizing. He cautioned that any voter must be aware of the party’s stance, noting that the AfD attacks the foundational principles of coexistence in society. Furthermore, he accused the party of questioning the rights of people with disabilities, undermining queer visibility, and promoting concepts of “remigration” that are fundamentally incompatible with the tenets of the Basic Law.
Ott also pointed to the ongoing radicalization within the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of the AfD. He noted that while Martin Vincentz currently occupies a prominent role as a right-conservative figure, he is merely a façade in a local chapter where völkisch-nationalist elements are gaining ground. He expressed concern that these radicals will ultimately dictate the direction of the entire party.
Referencing a recent report from the Society for Civil Rights, Ott emphasized that evidence suggests the risks associated with a ban procedure are outweighed by its potential successes, urging that they should not delay any longer.
For context, while NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst has previously labeled the AfD a “Nazi party,” he has not taken steps to pursue a ban initiative. Wüst has insisted that any move toward the Federal Constitutional Court must be absolutely “rock-solid.”
