Young Alternative: SPD and Greens see verdict against AfD youth organization as a victory for democracy

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Interior Minister Faeser: “Actively defend democracy”

Photo: Christopher Neundorf / EPA

Can the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classify and treat the AfD youth organization Junge Alternative (JA) as a confirmed extremist effort? Yes, the Cologne Administrative Court has now decided (you can read more about this here). Even if the decision is not yet legally binding, politicians see it as a decision with a signal effect.

"Today's decision clearly states that we are dealing with massive contempt for humanity, with racism, with hatred against Muslims and with attacks on our democracy," said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), according to her department. “We will continue to take action against this using the means of the constitutional state.”

Germany stands for democracy, diversity and human dignity. Right-wing extremists have only hatred and contempt for these values. "Right now it is important to actively defend our democracy and protect all those who are hostile because of their origin, skin color or their democratic stance."

"It's good that the Junge Alternative is under strict observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution."

According to the SPD, the decision is a clear defeat for the AfD. »Now the AfD has had to take a bitter slap in court. It's good that the Junge Alternative is under strict observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution," said Parliamentary Managing Director Katja Mast to the "Rheinische Post".

The AfD and its right-wing front organizations - including the Junge Alternative - "spread hatred and incitement," said Mast. "They are systematically undermining trust in our democratic institutions, our media and the rule of law." But it shows that democracy is resistant to right-wing extremism.

Lamya Kaddor, domestic policy spokeswoman for the Greens in the Bundestag, made a similar statement. “The constitutional state is showing itself to be defensive and protecting our democracy from its enemies!” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had already classified the JA as a suspected case of right-wing extremism in 2019. The Cologne administrative court dismissed a lawsuit against this in March 2022. The Higher Administrative Court will deal with the appeals from the AfD and the JA against this decision from March 12th.

In April 2023, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution attested that the JA had “consolidated the content and in some cases also intensified the extremist positions”. They propagate a ethnic social concept “based on basic biological assumptions” and agitate against democracy. The JA is not concerned with a dispute on the matter, "but rather with a general denigration of the democratic system of the Federal Republic of Germany." This resulted in the classification and treatment as a confirmed right-wing extremist effort.

The AfD and JA filed a lawsuit against this in June 2023 and were granted an urgent application against the classification. The Cologne Administrative Court has now rejected this urgent application. Juso boss Philipp Türmer sees the decision as further evidence of the AfD's unconstitutionality. »Now it is especially important to wait for the ruling of the Münster Higher Administrative Court in March regarding the classification of the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist case. If the AfD fails here too, that is an indication that a ban on the AfD could be successful," Türmer told SPIEGEL.

Helge Lindh, SPD member of the Bundestag and spokesman for the AG Democracy, made a similar statement: "The JA is not a solitary association, but is clearly part of the AfD party at the federal level," he told SPIEGEL. "In my opinion, we should now prepare and take the step of a ban out of constitutional patriotism and pride in our constitution."

At first glance, an AfD ban procedure appeared to be more promising at the level of federal states in which the AfD is already classified as right-wing extremist. “The JA classification strengthens the idea of ​​seeking a ban at the federal level,” said Lindh. The JA acts at the federal level and thus provides plenty of material to characterize the AfD as a whole as unconstitutional.

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