German establishment renews push to ban AfD
German Vice Chancellor and SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil has called for a serious examination of banning the Alternative for Germany (AfD), citing a legal opinion from the Society for Civil Rights (GFF). In a Die Zeit op-ed, he argued the party systematically works to destroy democracy and the rule of law, framing a ban probe as a “democratic duty.” This comes amid AfD’s projected strong showing or outright win in Saxony-Anhalt state elections next month. Support for exploring a ban extends across mainstream parties and to the federal president. A GFF petition has generated over 112,000 emails to MPs.
Germany’s Basic Law allows party bans via the Federal Constitutional Court if a party seeks to undermine the free democratic order. Previous attempts, such as against the NPD, failed partly because the party was too marginal to pose a real threat. AfD now polls as a major force, especially in the east, with policies on deportation, headscarves, and gender that overlap with rising nationalist currents elsewhere in Europe. The GFF opinion mixes member statements with speculation on intent, while acknowledging the gap between ideology and concrete plans.
Key tensions include the risk that a ban attempt on a popular party could backfire as a “political atomic bomb,” potentially boosting AfD further or drawing international scrutiny, including from a MAGA-aligned US. Establishment parties delayed action when AfD was weaker; now its size makes prohibition both more legally viable and politically explosive. Open questions remain over whether courts would uphold a ban and how it would affect Germany’s “defensive democracy” doctrine versus electoral legitimacy.
Sources: UnHerd.
Polish court upholds state funding cut for PiS
Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court has upheld the finance ministry’s decision to withhold millions of zlotys in public subsidies from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. The ruling confirms the National Electoral Commission’s earlier rejection of PiS’s 2023 campaign finance report over roughly 3.6 million zlotys in unauthorised spending, leading to a 10.8 million zloty cut. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański refused to release the funds, citing doubts over a favourable Supreme Court chamber created under prior PiS judicial reforms. Prime Minister Donald Tusk welcomed the outcome, calling it denial of money to “grifters.”
The dispute forms part of broader efforts by Tusk’s coalition to constrain PiS after the 2023 power shift. PiS has challenged the moves as unlawful and likened them to “Russian standards,” with leader Jarosław Kaczyński warning of efforts to eliminate the main opposition and appealing for private donations amid financial strain. Tusk’s government has pursued multiple political, judicial, and financial pressures on former PiS figures.
Tensions centre on selective application of rules and the contested legitimacy of post-2015 judicial bodies. PiS portrays the cuts as revenge politics enabled by Tusk’s EU ties, which mute Brussels criticism. Open questions include the long-term impact on opposition viability, whether similar scrutiny applies evenly, and effects on Poland’s polarised governance ahead of future contests.
Sources: The European Conservative.