The debate surrounding a potential ban of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has intensified in recent days. This follows the classification of the party by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) on May 2, 2025, as "securely far-right."
Since Friday, a state of emergency has swept through German media. The AfD, the largest opposition party in the Bundestag, faces the threat of a ban.
The cause is the party's classification as "securely far-right" by the BfV, yet concrete evidence for this assessment has not been publicly presented. Even more conspicuous is the almost simultaneous surge of campaigns by journalists, left-wing political factions, prominent NGOs, and even the churches, which have increasingly embraced a strictly leftist ideological course in recent years. The media and political coordination appears orchestrated, raising questions about the independence and democratic culture in Germany.
The Alternative for Germany, originally born from an intellectual protest movement against the Euro, has evolved over the years into a right-wing conservative force in a political landscape that has drifted leftward under Angela Merkel’s era.
Key issues for the AfD include a controlled immigration policy, independence from the European Union, the abolition of the Euro, and a return to market-driven economic principles. It could be described as a libertarian-conservative party in the German context. Over the years, no overtly nationalist or ethnic tendencies have been manifested in its platform. The current debate surrounding a potential ban thus resembles a moral outcry from the left-green political elite, which is losing traction across Europe. More and more people are turning to right-wing conservative parties that address the central challenges of our time, not least the escalating migration crisis on the continent.
As in Romania, where the European Union pressured the annulment of an election victory for an unwanted party, or in the case of Marine Le Pen in France, Germany now follows a similar pattern: Instead of responding to the will of the people and making political course corrections, the establishment seeks to eliminate its political opposition. In Germany, there is in effect only one true opposition party – the AfD. The other parties, whether CDU, SPD, Greens, or the Left, fundamentally follow the same ideological line: a globalist-leaning statism with socialist tendencies.
Criticism of the AfD from the ranks of the political establishment is nothing new. But since the party surged to 26% in the latest poll, making it the strongest political force, alarm bells have likely been ringing in the corridors of power. What is hoped for from a potential party ban remains unclear. Is there a genuine desire to politically exclude millions of voters, or even "eliminate" them? Does Berlin truly believe that growing discontent will not find another outlet?
The coordinated action from media, NGOs, and political actors points to rising panic within the power structure. Free platforms like X are increasingly coming under the scrutiny of a pan-European censorship campaign, led by Berlin, Paris, London, and Brussels. However, one thing is certain: this cannot continue. Germany is in its third year of recession, and neither Berlin nor Brussels has shown any signs of reform that could lead the country out of its growth and productivity crisis. Public frustration is mounting, fueled by rising unemployment and diminishing economic prospects.
European Union states are responding to growing discontent by implementing larger state expenditure programs, expanding the public sector, and encouraging early retirement.
A self-perpetuating debt spiral is gaining momentum. With an average national debt of around 95% of GDP, fiscal control is increasingly at risk, particularly in Southern Europe, where debt-to-GDP ratios exceed 120%. Germany itself is attempting to mask its internal political tensions and Europe's growth weakness with a new borrowing program amounting to one trillion euros over the next four years.
Simultaneously, the narrative of fear surrounding Vladimir Putin is being deliberately kept alive. The accelerated rearmament of European armies is intended to cloak the population's latent insecurity, suggesting that security can only be guaranteed by the existing power structures in Brussels and national capitals. But can this strategy succeed in the long run? Doubts are mounting. An increasing number of people are looking beyond the official state narratives and perceiving the European Union as an overbureaucratized structure, where too much power has been concentrated within the Brussels bureaucracy. The economic dirigisme of an eco-socialist agenda is driving capital and innovation out of Europe, preventing the much-needed reboot of the European industry.
A potential AfD ban would inevitably draw attention to the real issue: the failure of the established political order and its representatives. Such a move would not resolve any conflicts—it would only deepen them. Europe, and Germany with it, is heading further into societal division and a political crisis of trust.