In the wake of the emergency ruling by the Administrative Court of Cologne, which holds that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution cannot deem the AfD a secured far‑right extremist organization until the main case concludes, Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) is calling for a ban on certain state branches of the party.
Maier told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that he remains firmly convinced the AfD is anti‑constitutional and therefore warrants the measures of a proactive democracy. He stresses that at least the Thuringian state association-whose classification as a hostile organization is legally confirmed-must face a ban. “The prohibition of this and/or other state affiliates that have already been deemed hostile should, in my view, be reviewed by the Federal Constitutional Court” he added, noting that he still considers filing a formal request necessary.
The Cologne court’s decision was made in provisional legal protection. Maier said, “This is a temporary ruling; the main case is still pending”. He also cited the court’s clear statement that there is ample certainty that the AfD contains elements aimed at undermining the liberal democratic order, stating that “the strong suspicion explicitly remains”.
