AfD celebrates verdict as "good day for democracy"

Created: 06/15/2022, 12:25 p.m

Doris König, Chairwoman of the Second Senate at the Federal Constitutional Court, announces the verdict.

© Uli Deck/dpa

AfD leader Tino Chrupalla is pleased with his party's success before the Federal Constitutional Court.

"It's a good day for democracy," he said on Wednesday after the verdict was announced in Karlsruhe.

The statements made by the then Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on the 2020 Prime Minister election in Thuringia not only blatantly violated the rights of the AfD, but also the Basic Law.

Karlsruhe - During a state visit to South Africa, Merkel described it as "unforgivable" that in Thuringia, for the first time, a politician was elected prime minister with the help of the AfD.

She literally said: "It was a bad day for democracy." At the request of the AfD, the court has now determined that this violated the principle of equal opportunities for the parties.

Chrupalla said the comments had "more to do with dictatorial expressions of opinion abroad".

Under normal circumstances, in his view, a resignation would have been necessary - but Merkel is no longer in office.

"That's probably why the Federal Constitutional Court took so much time.

Nevertheless, as the AfD, as the opposition, as a corrective, we will continue to fight for fundamental rights and also for compliance with the Basic Law.”

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD as a suspected case in the area of ​​right-wing extremism.

The party is defending itself against this in ongoing proceedings before the administrative courts.

dpa