Published June 26, 2026
The Alternative for Germany (AfD)’s upcoming party conference on July 4-5 will come as the national populist organisation leads in both national and state polls in the former East Germany. Its political momentum is leading many, especially on the Left, to renew calls to ban the party as unconstitutional. Such a move would likely damage German democracy to no effect; it would irrevocably damage relations with the United States.
The AfD scares the traditional centrist parties for many reasons. The Left is frightened by its anti-migration stance and staunch defence of traditional German culture. The Right is scared by its anti-NATO and anti-European Union stances. Both sides are scared by the party’s flirtation with Nazi slogans and symbols, a continual provocation that raises questions about the motivation of some in the party as well as about whether the party is serious about governing modern Germany.
These concerns have long caused AfD opponents to seek to outlaw it. The German Constitution sought to prevent any possible recurrence of the Nazi horror that had destroyed the nation. Article 21 (2) of the Basic Law establishes that parties which seek to undermine or abolish the country’s democracy. The party’s virulent foes argue that its platform, provocative behaviours, and close relations with Russia’s government satisfy that standard.
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Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, is a globally recognized expert on American elections and policy as well as global populism.
