Germany’s interior minister-to-be sceptical of banning far-right AfD

Germany’s soon-to-be interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, appears reluctant to initiate a ban on the country’s Alternative for Germany (AfD), the party recently designated by intelligence officials as a “right-wing extremist” threat to democracy.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency reignited a political debate about banning the party after it announced on Friday it was designating the AfD party as a right-wing extremist organization that “disregards human dignity.”

“I am very sceptical about this,” Dobrindt told broadcaster ZDF on Sunday after talk of a possible ban dominated German media since Friday. “I don’t believe that we can just ban the AfD. Instead we need to outgovern them.”

The issue of a party ban is set to be among the first facing Germany’s new conservative-led government, set to take office under future chancellor Friedrich Merz in the coming days.

“In truth, this plays into the hands of the AfD and their narrative that people no longer want to engage with them politically, but only legally. And I would not want to grant the AfD that satisfaction,” Dobrindt said.

The AfD’s designation as right-wing extremist drew criticism not only from party leaders, but also US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who slammed the move as “tyranny in disguise.”

Dobrindt rejected the claim from the US that the designation was an attempt to destroy Germany’s largest opposition party.

“This statement is absurd,” he said. “And I also expect this to be addressed in the next discussions with the US. Obviously, there is a completely false assessment of the AfD as a party.”