Many Germans are against efforts to ban the Populist Alternative for Germany (AFD) party, viewing it as a move by the Berlin establishment to uphold opposition.
Back in May, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which is Germany’s political intelligence agency, determined that the AFD qualifies as a “right-wing extremist” group under the guidance of then-Left Home Minister Nancy Pheaser. This classification faces legal challenges, and if validated, could enable state surveillance on the party, potentially leading to a ban aimed at safeguarding German democracy.
Despite ongoing demands from left-wing Social Democrats and Green Party officials for a ban, a poll conducted by the Allensbach Institute with 1,054 voters revealed that a substantial majority—52%—oppose such drastic measures.
Interestingly, although 54% of those surveyed identified the AFD as a right-wing extremist party, many also reported knowing AFD supporters among friends and family, including 67% of respondents from the West and 88% from the party’s stronghold in former Communist East Germany. Just 5% considered those supporters to be extremists.
The survey also indicated that many are opposed to banning anti-mass immigration parties, which they perceive as a politically motivated effort to diminish competition.
Moreover, most respondents were skeptical about whether banning the AFD would meaningfully alter the political scene; 54% anticipated that similar parties would emerge regardless of the state’s actions.
This inquiry comes after warnings from Professor Andreas Redder at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, who cautioned last week that banning the country’s second-largest party could fundamentally threaten German democracy.
He argued that a ban that nullifies all votes for the AFD would likely lead to a parliamentary majority for leftist parties, creating a potential path to civil unrest.
Questions about the justification for such a ban have also arisen, particularly from heads within the BFV Politburo who categorized the party as extremist.
Former Federal Constitutional Director Hans-Georg Maaßen recently suggested that this classification was possibly influenced by political pressure from the then-leftist government and the former home minister Nancy Pheaser.
He stated, “This appears to be a clear instance of utilizing domestic intelligence agencies to suppress opposition,” adding that BFVs are being wielded to target political rivals in a subtle manner.
The former intelligence chief also expressed doubts about the evidence used in the classification, which he claimed was based almost entirely on public remarks by AFD politicians regarding immigration, according to a leaked report.
