Germany is debating whether to ban the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the party surges to 21 per cent in the polls, amid warnings from intelligence officials that its members are becoming increasingly extreme. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German president, warned in a speech to the country’s domestic intelligence agency that “we all have it in our hands to put those who despise our democracy in their place”.
In a rare move, the respected Der Spiegel news magazine weighed into the debate with a leader titled: “Ban the enemies of the constitution!” It warned that “the AfD has become more and more radicalised. It’s time to defend democracy with better weapons”.
Germany is debating whether to ban the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the party surges to 21% in the polls, saying "It’s time to defend democracy"
So democracy is banning opposition parties? Wowhttps://t.co/9uNrf6ej4o pic.twitter.com/vnaGli5Dcn— Tess Summers 🏴🇮🇪 (@tesssummers98) August 13, 2023
Tess