Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Baden-Württemberg’s Premier Cem Özdemir are urging a legal ban on certain far-right factions of the AfD, citing constitutional concerns and impending state elections.

With just a week to go before the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of the Social Democrats (SPD) and Baden-Württemberg’s Green Party Premier Cem Özdemir have openly advocated for a court-ordered ban of specific far-right factions within the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Both officials argue that such a step is legally viable and urgently needed to counteract the growing influence of völkisch, or ethnonationalist, elements within the AfD.

Pistorius and Özdemir, two of the country’s most popular politicians, issued a joint call for action in an opinion piece, stating that the ethnonationalist branches of the party—particularly those in Thüringen, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Brandenburg—pose a constitutional threat. They emphasized the importance of initiating a ban before potential electoral victories strengthen the party’s position, adding that while some nationalist rhetoric from the AfD can be debated, the völkisch ideology is inherently incompatible with democratic principles.

Currently, only the federal government, Bundestag, or Bundesrat can file for a party ban with Germany’s Constitutional Court. However, conservative parties like the CDU and CSU have dismissed the idea, labeling the debate as divisive during an election period. Despite this resistance, Pistorius and Özdemir remain hopeful that a broader coalition, including CDU leaders like Hendrik Wüst and Daniel Günther, will back the proposal after the elections. They assert that delaying the debate on banning the AfD’s extremist elements would be a dangerous misstep for Germany’s democracy.