Bundes Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has backed the demand made by the chairpersons of the SPD parliamentary groups in the Bundestag, the European Parliament, and the state legislatures for a review process regarding a potential ban on the AfD party. Pistorius stated to the broadcaster “Welt,” “The chairpersons of the SPD faction in the Bundestag, the European Parliament, and the state legislatures have agreed to voice this wish. I expressly support that because this is not about anyone believing they can or should ban another party. Rather, it is about determining whether there is a party that is largely right-extremist-we know this-and whether it is so dangerous to our democracy that we, as leaders in this liberal democracy, must assume the responsibility to have done everything possible to prevent the danger.”
The SPD parliamentary group chairpersons had previously agreed at the federal, state, and European levels to advocate for an appropriate review procedure. They are advocating for the establishment of a joint federal-state working group designed to prepare for a potential banning procedure.
Pistorius had previously supported the idea of an AfD banning process. At the end of August, he joined Baden-Württemberg Minister-President Cem Özdemir (Greens) in a guest contribution calling for the swift initiation of such a ban procedure.
