Berlin Senator Felor Badenberg (CDU) believes that there is no chance of a nationwide ban on the AfD, but she does maintain that it could be possible to ban individual regional branches of the party in East Germany. Speaking to the news magazine Focus, she noted that the Thuringia regional chapter has been classified for years as securely right-extremist. Badenberg pointed out that the regional chairman, Björn Höcke, is not secretive about what he would do if put into government office, citing multiple documented instances of racist and antisemitic rhetoric.
According to Badenberg, ordering a ban on the Thuringia branch has a realistic chance of success. She added that a similar ban could be conceivable for other eastern state chapters, suggesting that procedures could also be considered for Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, besides Thuringia.
Beyond the AfD’s ideological extremism, the Senator advised preparing for a scenario in which the party wins the regional election in Saxony-Anhalt. Badenberg noted that it had been clear before the Thuringia state elections in September 2024 that the AfD would gain significant influence. Despite this, the previous government, led by former Green Minister-President Bodo Ramelow, had failed to implement all necessary safeguards. A consequence of this failure, Badenberg explained, is that the AfD is now using the block vote majority to obstruct the election of a new judges’ election committee. This poses a risk to ensuring that judicial positions can be filled.
Regarding Kai Wegner, who stepped down as CDU’s top candidate for the Berlin election, Badenberg declined to comment on the matter. She made clear that her focus remains strictly on the tasks for the people of Berlin, stating, “I will not comment on personnel matters and speculation.”
