https://www.dw.com/en/germany-designates-afd-regional-party-extremist/a-67334260
The AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is the second state association of the party to be categorized as an extremist group, following that of the neighboring Thuringia.
Germany designates another state level group of the AfD party extremist.
It has already been designated for Thuringen, where the head of the Thuringen AfD Björn Höcke has lost a defamation lawsuit, because the court ruled that calling him a fascist does not amount to defamation, because he is one.
But doesn’t it make the whole thing extremist if they tolerate an extremist local organization on state level within their rows?
From my point of view it does, even though there is plenty of reasons to considerthe AfD as fascist and extremist party as a whole and on the federal level.
Unfortunately only the government or the federal parliament or the federal state assembly can initiate the ban of a party, which then is decided by the constitutional court. The politicians so far have been reluctant to start the banning process, both in fear of it failing or it suceesing, depending on their political leaning.
Banning a political party in Germany doesnt only require it work against the constitution,but also be "agressive" about it and have actual political power.
Just to make sure everyone reading this is on the same level, designating a party or its regional branches as extremist only relates to the level of scrutiny they receive by the Verfassungsschutz (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution).
This has nothing directly to do with banning the party.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
BfV head Jochen Hollmann said his organization had now gathered extensive information that showed the association's values were incompatible with human dignity, democracy, and the rule of law.
"The regional association not only continues to hold anti-constitutional positions that led to its classification as a suspected case, but has also become radicalized to such an extent since the coronavirus pandemic that systematic observation using intelligence service means is justified."
The Saxony-Anhalt AfD aspires to create a "homogenous ethnocultural national population" and exclude others on the basis of race or religion, according to the BfV.
BfV boss Hollmann explained that the party actively applies itself to making politics and civic institutions appear ridiculous in a ploy to erode confidence in them.
"There is no doubt that the Saxony-Anhalt AfD is a right-wing extremist organization — it's good that it has now been officially established," said state Green Sebastian Siegel.
In March 2021, the regional party in the neighboring state of Thuringia was designated a far-right extremist group, along with its notorious firebrand leader Björn Höcke.
The original article contains 495 words, the summary contains 168 words. Saved 66%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
I know it's easy to miss, only two thirds of the article are about this.
The agency said it had assessed numerous statements from functionaries and elected officials of the far-right party, as anti-Muslim, antisemitic, and racist before making the assessment.
The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch has been under formal suspicion of far-right extremism since 2021.
BfV head Jochen Hollmann said his organization had gathered extensive information that showed the association's values were incompatible with human dignity, democracy, and the rule of law.
"The regional association not only continues to hold anti-constitutional positions that led to its classification as a suspected case, but has also become radicalized to such an extent since the coronavirus pandemic that systematic observation using intelligence service means is justified."
The Saxony-Anhalt AfD aspires to create a "homogenous ethnocultural national population" and exclude others on the basis of race or religion, according to the BfV.
The party also aspires to, "do away with parliamentary democracy in its current form."
Created in 2013, the AfD began as an anti-euro party in the midst of the euro crisis, before becoming a staunchly anti-immigrant outfit in the midst of the 2015 refugee crisis.
It also latched on to frustrations brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and has regularly stoked fear and spread conspiracy theories. Its leaders routinely make headlines using Nazi language, trafficking in antisemitic tropes, denying the Holocaust and trivializing Germany's Nazi past.
This is not a label you can receive for doing a particular thing. The german anti domestic terrorism/coup agency (has a severe pro-right wing bias I.e. would usually turn a blind eye to this) feels they have continously acted in a way that endangers the constitutional order.