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Radical-right Parties in Militant Democracies: How the Alternative for Germany’s Strategic Frontstage Moderation Undermines Militant Measures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2022

Franziska Brandmann*
Affiliation:
DPhil Candidate, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford.

Abstract

Democratic defence – Germany’s militant democracy – militant measures against radical-right parties – targeted organisations in militant democracies not passive recipients of militant measures – actions taken by targeted organisations – parties engaging in frontstage moderation to shield the party from militant measures – alternative for Germany shielding the party from militant measures by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Type
Articles
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the University of Amsterdam

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Footnotes

Research for this paper was conducted in the winter of 2019 and spring of 2020, as a graduate student at the University of Oxford and a recipient of the Adam von Trott-Scholarship, awarded by the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford and funded by the German Foreign Ministry, as well as funded through a scholarship of the Friedrich Naumann-Foundation. I want to thank Giovanni Capoccia for his supervision, as well as for his insightful feedback at all times. Also, I appreciate the comments and thoughts shared with me by the participants of the Panel ‘Militant Democracy: New Challengers and Challenges’ during the Joint Sessions event of the European Consortium for Political Research in May of 2021. Particularly, I thank Angela Bourne and Bastiaan Rijpkema, who chaired the panel and provided me with very valuable feedback. Furthermore, I am grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their helpful feedback and comments.

References

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34 Ellinas, supra n. 11, p. 13.

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36 A. Kirshner, A Theory of Militant Democracy (Yale University Press 2014); S. Kailitz, Politischer Extremismus in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Eine Einführung (Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften 2004).

37 Kirshner, supra n. 36.

38 Capoccia, supra. n. 9.

39 Ibid.

40 Capoccia, supra n. 13.

41 Art. 79(3) Grundgesetz.

42 P. Franke, ‘Parteienprivileg und verfassungsfeindliche Parteien: Beschluß des BVerfG vom 29. Oktober 1975 – BvE 1/75’, 7 Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen (1976) p. 523 at p. 528; Art. 21(1) Grundgesetz.

43 Art. 21(1) Grundgesetz; Art. 21(2) Grundgesetz.

44 Art. 21(3) Grundgesetz.

45 § 3(1) Bundesverfassungsschutzgesetz (BVerfSchG).

46 Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, ‘Informationsbeschaffung’, Verfassungsschutz.de, ⟨https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/DE/verfassungsschutz/auftrag/informationsbeschaffung/informationsbeschaffung_artikel.html⟩, visited 21 July 2022.

47 Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, ‘Aufsicht und Kontrolle’, Verfassungsschutz.de, ⟨https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/DE/verfassungsschutz/auftrag/aufsicht-und-kontrolle/aufsicht-und-kontrolle_artikel.html⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

48 § 8(5) Bundesverfassungsschutzgesetz; U. Backes, ‘Banning Political Parties in a Democratic Constitutional State: The Second NPD Ban Proceeedings in a Comparative Perspective’, 53 Patterns of Prejudice (2019) p. 136 at p. 151.

49 C. Leggewie and H. Meier, Nach dem Verfassungsschutz: Plädoyer für eine neue Sicherheitsarchitektur der Berliner Republik (Hirnkost 2019).

50 G. Molier and B. Rijpkema, ‘Germany’s New Militant Democracy Regime: National Democratic Party II and the German Federal Constitutional Court’s ‘Potentiality’ Criterion for Party Bans’, 14 EuConst (2018) p. 394 at p. 409; Backes, supra n. 48.

51 BVerfG, 17 January 2017, 2 BvB 1/13.

52 § 16(1) Bundesverfassungsschutzgesetz.

53 Art. 9(2) Grundgesetz; Backes, supra n. 48.

54 § 16(1) Bundesverfassungsschutzgesetz.

55 § 16(2) Bundesverfassungsschutzgesetz; Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, ‘Auswertung und Berichtswesen’, Verfassungsschutz.de, ⟨https://www.verfassungsschutz.de/DE/verfassungsschutz/auftrag/auswertung-und-berichtswesen/auswertung-und-berichtswesen_artikel.html⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

56 Van Donselaar, supra n. 10.

57 Goffman, supra n. 15.

58 N. Lupu, Party Brands in Crisis. Partisanship, Brand Dilution, and the Breakdown of Political Parties in Latin America (Cambridge University Press 2016) p. 11.

59 See for example the National Rally (Rassemblement National, formerly known as Front National) in France, the Forum for Democracy (Forum voor Democratie) in the Netherlands, and the Northern League (Lega Nord) in Italy.

60 D. Art, ‘Memory Politics in Western Europe: EUI Working Paper’, Max Weber Programme (European University Institute 2010), ⟨https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/13248/MWP_2010_01.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

61 D.P. Carpenter, The Forging of Bureaucratic Autonomy: Reputations, Networks, and Policy Innovation in Executive Agencies, 1862-1928 (Princeton University Press 2001).

62 Ibid.

63 See e.g., ZEIT Online, ‘AfD laut Gabriel ein Fall für den Verfassungsschutz’, ZEIT Online, 31 January 2016, ⟨https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2016-01/gabriel-afd-verfassungsschutz⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

64 S. Aust et al., ‘AfD ist keine rechtsextremistische Partei’, WELT, 9 April 2016, ⟨https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article154166752/AfD-ist-keine-rechtsextremistische-Partei.html⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

65 T.R. Stoldt, ‘Der Verfassungsschutz traut sich nicht an die AfD’, WELT, 25 July 2016, ⟨https://www.welt.de/regionales/nrw/article157231988/Der-Verfassungsschutz-traut-sich-nicht-an-die-AfD.html⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

66 Interview with former high-ranking AfD-politician, Düsseldorf, February 2020.

67 F. Schreiber, Inside AfD: Der Bericht einer Aussteigerin (Europa Verlag 2018).

68 C. Fuchs and P. Middelhoff, Das Netzwerk der Neuen Rechten: Wer sie lenkt, wer sie finanziert und wie sie die Gesellschaft verändern (Rowohlt 2019).

69 Phoenix, ‘Pressekonferenz des Verfassungsschutzes zur bundesweiten Prüfung der AfD am 15.01.19’, Phoenix, 15 January 2019, ⟨https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOWJahMJBmM⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

70 Deutsche Welle, ‘Verfassungsschutz erklärt AfD zum Prüffall’, Deutsche Welle, 15 January 2019, ⟨https://www.dw.com/de/bundesverfassungsschutz-erklärt-afd-zum-prüffall/a-47086892⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

71 Meister et al., supra n. 33.

72 VG Köln 26 February 2019, 13 L 202/19.

73 Tagesschau, ‘Prüffall. AfD-Reaktion auf Verfassungsschutz-Entscheidung’, Tagesschau, 15 January 2019, ⟨https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4PSilIWH5g⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

74 Tagesschau, supra n. 73.

75 Alternative für Deutschland, ‘AfD-Bundesvorstand setzt Arbeitsgruppe zum Thema Verfassungsschutz ein’, Alternative für Deutschland, 13 September 2018, ⟨https://www.afd.de/afd-bundesvorstand-setzt-arbeitsgruppe-zum-thema-verfassungsschutz-ein/⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

76 SPIEGEL, ‘Internes AfD-Gutachten warnt vor Beobachtung durch den Verfassungsschutz’, SPIEGEL Online, 2 November 2018, ⟨https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/afd-berichte-ueber-gutachten-das-vor-beobachtung-durch-verfassungsschutz-warnt-a-1236563.html⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

77 S. Weiland, ‘Die Angst der AfD vor der Beobachtung’, SPIEGEL Online, 6 November 2018, ⟨https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/verfassungsschutz-die-angst-der-afd-vor-der-beobachtung-a-1236836.html⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

78 R. Hartwig, ‘Informationen und Handreichungen zum Thema Verfassungsschutz – Teil 1’, ⟨https://www.afd.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/111/2019/01/2018-11-02_ag-vs_information-handreichungen_mitglieder.pdf⟩, visited 11 October 2022, p. 12.

79 Ibid.

80 Ibid., p. 34.

81 Ibid., p. 34.

82 Ibid., p. 38.

83 Ibid., p. 28.

84 Interview with AfD official and member of the AfD’s federal board at the time of the interview, Berlin, October 2019.

85 ZEIT, ‘AfD-Arbeitsgruppe sieht Anhaltspunkte für Verfassungsfeindlichkeit’, ZEIT Online, 20 September 2019, ⟨https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2019-09/arbeitsgruppe-verfassungsschutz-afd-verfassungsfeindlich-roland-hartwig⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

86 Alternative für Deutschland, ‘1 Jahr AG Verfassungsschutz/Pressekonferenz’, AfD TV, 7 November 2019, ⟨https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLmvDnEY0zw⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

87 Alternative für Deutschland, ‘Klarstellungen zum VS-Gutachten’, AfD kompakt ⟨https://afdkompakt.de/vs/⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

88 Alternative für Deutschland, ‘Der Verfassungsschutz hat eine wichtige Aufgabe. Parteipolitik gehört nicht dazu’, AfD.de, ⟨https://www.afd.de/grundgesetz/#stellungnahmen⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

89 Ibid.

90 Phoenix, ‘Verfassungsschutz zum AfD-„Flügel’ am 12.03.20’, Phoenix, 12 March 2020, ⟨https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA0THE7bw2w2020⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

91 Ibid.

92 V. Kabisch, S. Pittelkow, K. Riedel, ‘„Flügel’ baut Strukturen offenbar wieder auf’, Tagesschau, 10 June 2021, ⟨https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr/afd-fluegel-patrioten-101.html⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

93 P. Middelhoff, ‘AfD-Flügel-Auflösung: Ein Fall von strategischer Kosmetik’, Zeit Online, 20 March 2020, ⟨https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2020-03/afd-fluegel-aufloesung-bjoern-hoecke-personal-positionen⟩, visited 11 October 2022.

94 VG Köln 27 January 2021, 13 L 105/21.

95 VG Köln 8 March 2022, 13 K 326/21.

96 Interview with journalist from major German public-service media station, Berlin, October 2019.

97 Interview with journalist of German newspaper Der Spiegel, Berlin, December 2019.

98 Interview with former high-ranking AfD-politician, Düsseldorf, February 2020; interview with journalist of German newspaper Der Spiegel, Berlin, December 2019.

99 Interview with journalist from major German public-service media station, Berlin, October 2019.

100 Interview with Mariam Lau, journalist of German newspaper Die Zeit, Berlin, December 2019.

101 Interview with Mariam Lau, journalist of German newspaper Die Zeit, Berlin, December 2019.

102 Interview with founding-member of the AfD, geography of location cannot be revealed in order to protect anonymity, October 2019.

103 Interview with AfD official and member of the AfD’s federal board at the time of the interview, Berlin, October 2019.

104 Interview with journalist from major German public-service media station, Berlin, October 2019.

105 Interview with Christian Fuchs, journalist of German newspaper Die Zeit and co-author of the book Das Netzwerk der Neuen Rechten (The Network of the New Right), Berlin, January 2020; interview with speaker of Brandenburg’s Minister of the Interior at the time of the interview, Potsdam, October 2019.

106 Interview with AfD official associated with the AfD’s right-extreme faction Flügel, telephone interview due to COVID-pandemic, March 2020.

107 Interview with journalist from major German public-service media station, Berlin, October 2019.

108 Interview with journalist of German newspaper Der Spiegel, Berlin, December 2019.

109 Interview with Mariam Lau, journalist of German newspaper Die Zeit, Berlin, December 2019.

110 Interview with Hans-Gerd Jaschke, scholar with extensive knowledge of right-wing extremism in Germany, Berlin, December 2019.

111 Interview with AfD official and member of the AfD’s federal board at the time of the interview, Berlin, October 2019.

112 Interview with journalist of German newspaper Der Spiegel, Berlin, December 2019.

113 Ibid.

114 Interview with journalist from major German public-service media station, Berlin, October 2019.

115 Interview with former high-ranking AfD politician, Düsseldorf, February 2020.

116 Interview with Berhard Witthaut, president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Lower Saxony, January 2020.

117 Interview with Burkhard Freier, president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in North Rhine-Westphalia, Gummersbach, February 2020.

118 Carpenter, supra n. 61.

119 Art, supra n. 20.