Greens demand ban – Court: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution can classify AfD youth as right-wing extremists
Imago / Martin Müller
Audio: Radioeins | 02/06/2024 | Jan Hendrik Raffler | Image: Imago / Martin Müller
The Junge Alternative, the youth organization of the AfD, is no longer just a suspected case for the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. According to a court order, a new classification and treatment is legal, the Greens are calling for a ban on the organization.
- Cologne Administrative Court rules: The Office for the Protection of the Constitution can classify Junge Alternative as “certainly right-wing extremist”.
- Brandenburg’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the AfD youth organization as “certain extremist” in 2023
- The Greens are calling for a ban on JA, Interior Minister Stübgen (CDU) remains cautious
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution can classify the AfD’s youth organization, the Junge Alternative, as definitely right-wing extremist. This was decided by the Cologne Administrative Court. The court published Monday’s decision on Tuesday.
The Green party in the Brandenburg state parliament then called for a ban on the Junge Alternative in Brandenburg to be examined. Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) kept a low profile when asked by rbb24 about a possible ban. Stübgen said he did not want to take part in public speculation and would provide information if a ban was implemented.
“Incompatible with the Basic Law”
In January 2021, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the youth organization as a suspected case. A lawsuit against this decision was rejected by the Cologne Administrative Court at the time. The Higher Administrative Court (OVG) will deal with this question in the next instance in mid-March.
In April 2023, the BfV announced that the observation of suspected cases had revealed indications that there were indications of efforts by the AfD youth organization Junge Alternative (JA). against the free democratic basic order. “The positions of the AfD’s youth organization, Junge Alternative, are not compatible with the Basic Law,” explained Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution Thomas Haldenwang at the time. There is no longer any doubt that the JA is pursuing “anti-constitutional efforts”. Therefore, the Junge Alternative will be classified and treated as a confirmed right-wing extremist effort in the future.
The AfD and the youth organization sued against this in June 2023 and granted an urgent application against the classification. The Cologne Administrative Court has now rejected the urgent application. However, the court’s decision is not yet legally binding. The AfD and its youth organization can lodge a complaint with the North Rhine-Westphalia Higher Administrative Court (Az: 13 L 1124/23).
Court sees violation of human dignity
In its reasons for the judgment, the administrative court writes that the observation by the BfV does not represent a measure “that is directed against the existence of the AfD, but rather serves to clarify whether a party – or in this case its youth organization – is pursuing anti-constitutional goals.” the administrative court.
The admissibility of such information is presupposed by the constitution. In fact, the JA is definitely an extremist effort. “The actual evidence of anti-constitutional efforts has become certain since the court’s ruling of March 8, 2022, which dealt with the classification of the JA as a suspected case.”
The youth organization continues to represent a ethnic concept of ethnicity. The exclusion of “ethnic strangers” is a central idea of the correctional institution and therefore a violation of human dignity, explains the court in the 70-page reasoning for its decision. Furthermore, the Basic Law does not recognize a concept of the people that is based exclusively on ethnic categories. “In addition, there is ongoing massive anti-foreigner and anti-Islam and anti-Muslim agitation at the JA. Asylum seekers and migrants are generally suspected and degraded. Immigrants are generally described as parasites and criminals or are viewed with contempt in other ways and their human dignity is therefore disregarded.” , writes the administrative court.
The JA acts against the principles of democracy at all political levels. The Federal Republic of Germany is equated with dictatorial regimes, “particularly the Nazi regime and the GDR.” The youth organization’s connections with organizations classified as anti-constitutional, such as the Identitarian Movement, would also reinforce the suspicions.
The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified JA as extremist in July
AfD member of the Bundestag Hannes Gnauck from Uckermark has been federal chairman of the AfD youth organization since last October. He and other JA members maintain contacts with the Institute for State Policy in Saxony-Anhalt, which the BfV also considers to be a confirmed right-wing extremist effort.
The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the AfD regional association as a suspected right-wing extremist case in 2020 – in July 2023, the authority already classified the AfD offspring as “certain extremist endeavors”.
Last year, according to the authorities, 730 people in the AfD were considered right-wing extremists, and 90 in the Junge Alternative. “Secured extremist aspirations” is the highest category of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In the case of confirmed extremist efforts, the hurdles for intercepting telephone conversations or the use of undercover agents are lower than in suspected cases.
Green parliamentary group: “Forge ahead energetically” with the ban
Against this background and after the court ruling, the parliamentary group leader of the Brandenburg Greens, Benjamin Raschke, said that the examination of a ban on Junge Alternative in Brandenburg must now be vigorously pursued. The federal decision eliminates any possible objection to this and the hurdles for banning the youth organization are lower than in the case of a party ban procedure.
By banning the JA, the Greens hope to smash right-wing extremist structures and confiscate club assets. All stops must be pulled out against right-wing extremism, said Raschke.
Broadcast: Radioeins, February 6th, 2024, 12:00 p.m