The AfD denies that it is anti-democratic. Party leaders rejected the ruling, accusing the judges of not providing enough evidence for their decision.
AfD lawyers said they would appeal the ruling. But any further challenges are likely to focus only on procedural issues, not the legal content of today’s decision.
The AfD has recently dropped in the polls from the low 20s at the beginning of this year to around 16%.
This may be partly due to mass anti-AfD protests across the country after it was revealed that party officials attended a secret meeting where the expulsion of non-Germans.
Several scandals over alleged spying for China and suspected links to the Kremlin have also dented support.
Arguably the bigger problem for the AfD is that other right-wing parties are cannibalizing its votes.
New rebel parties push a similar anti-migrant message and some mainstream conservatives are increasingly radical when it comes to asylum seekers, in some cases even pushing for a policy British Rwanda Plan.
The ruling may simply boost support for the far right among the AfD’s core voters, who rely on a narrative of victimhood and believe the party is being manipulated by Germany. target system.
But AfD leaders are worried about such cases. While the party has become more progressive over the years, its leaders are simultaneously trying to detoxify their brand to attract undecided voters.
In Germany’s rural east, the AfD has been the dominant force in some councils, sometimes even collaborating with other parties on local grassroots issues.
But at the regional and national levels, no other party will cooperate with the AfD to form a coalition, so for now the party has no real political power.
This is why the upcoming regional elections in three large eastern German states in September are so important.
AfD tops polls in several regions and wants to join a regional governing coalition in the immediate future. In the long term, its goal is to join the national government.
Announcements like Monday’s ruling make that harder – not just by turning off moderate voters but also by reigniting debate about banning the AfD altogether.
Over the years, discussions about a ban have occurred frequently. Critics of the idea say it would simply benefit the AfD by promoting its narrative of victimhood.
Legally, this will also be difficult, time-consuming and may be rejected by the constitutional court.
But with each new scandal involving the AfD, calls from all mainstream parties grow louder to investigate whether there are at least enough grounds for a trial.
