Merz still holds all the cards, and he has harshly rejected an AfD ban, but the dream is far from dead.
Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig, of the left-wing Social Democrats (SPD), is keeping the hope for a ban on the Alternative for Germany (AfD) alive, saying a ban should still be on the table.
She told German newspaper Rheinische Post a ban should not be “dismissed for political reasons alone.” She also brushed away concerns that the AfD could “once again portray itself as a victim” if ban proceedings are initiated.
Most of the main German parties have advocated for an AfD ban, including many top politicians from the SPD. However, a vote must first pass in the German parliament, the Bundestag, and then be approved by the Bundesrat, which is represented by the 16 German states. From there, it would need to go to the top German court, the Constitutional Court, which could still reject such a ban as unconstitutional — a risk many opposed to a ban have cited for not moving forward with such a proposal.