German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt remains skeptical about banning the far-right AfD party, despite a recent legal report suggesting strong grounds for such action.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has reiterated his doubts about pursuing a legal ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Speaking during the presentation of the 2025 Constitutional Protection Report, Dobrindt stated his stance on the matter has ‘not changed,’ emphasizing the importance of countering the AfD through effective governance rather than legal measures. He argued that the party should be politically ‘out-governed’ and linked this approach to his own policy objectives.

Dobrindt referenced a February ruling by the Cologne Administrative Court, which prohibited the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) from categorizing the AfD as definitively extremist. The party remains under observation as a ‘suspected case,’ with a final decision pending. While a recent legal analysis by the Society for Civil Rights (GFF) suggested strong prospects for a ban, Dobrindt refrained from commenting on its findings, noting that the information used was publicly accessible and already available to authorities.