German expert warns strongly: Banning AfD is a path to civil war
The German historian close to the CDU party, Andreas Ruder, sharply criticized the increasing calls to ban the AfD party, warning of the serious political consequences that could result from this. He considered that banning the party would lead to a "comprehensive parliamentary majority for the left coalition (SPD, Die Linke, and Grüne)", which portends dire consequences.
Ruder did not limit himself to warning about the political consequences, but pointed to greater dangers threatening society as a whole. In a statement to Euronews on July 17, he said, "The initiation of banning procedures, and the resulting cancellation of AfD votes, leading to a leftist majority in parliaments, will be the sure path to civil war."
Roder called on German politicians to take a clear stance on the AfD, especially urging the SPD and Grüne parties to carefully consider their steps and assess their impact on liberal democracy in Germany. In the same context, constitutional law expert Volker Boehme-Neßler expressed his doubts about the possibility of banning the AfD. He confirmed that unconstitutional statements under the parliament's dome are not sufficient as a legal reason for a ban; it must be proven that the party is planning acts of violence, which has not been established according to the latest report from the Verfassungsschutz.
Despite these warnings, the SPD continues its efforts to initiate banning procedures, as the party approved a proposal at its general conference to prepare steps to ban the AfD, describing it as "clearly a far-right party." It was also decided to form a joint working group between the federal government and the state governments to gather evidence in preparation for starting official procedures if necessary.
The Verfassungsschutz agency classified the AfD in the spring as a "confirmed far-right movement", but the party resorted to the courts to challenge this classification, which led to its temporary suspension due to ongoing legal proceedings.