The decision of the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution, or German civilian Counterintelligence, to recognise the alternate for Germany as an extremist party, is inactive being commented on in the German press. Monday (05.05.25) editions of newspapers besides respond to the words of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called the decision of counterintelligence “hidden tyranny”.
A commentator on “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” writes that the U.S. Secretary of State “extremely exaggerated”. According to the newspaper, "Germany is simply a state of law and the office (interview) has its statutory tasks".
Referring to the discussion on attempts to delegalize AfD, the commentator writes: "What drives AfD voters cannot be resolved by the delegalization of the party. As in the United States or another Western countries, migration and social liberalisation are perceived as a failure of control, homeland and tradition. German politicians must find more convincing answers than before. What the fresh coalition is planning, even if the border controls were tougher, would be the first step. This would should be in the spirit of Rubio, who besides criticized open border policy."
Rubio's allegations are besides referred to by the commentator of the diary "Sueddeutsche Zeitung". "When tyrants accuse Democrats of tyranny, it always has a comic taste. Everyone in Germany has the chance to appeal to court. The government even obeys all sentence. He's not even threatening the judges. But you don't gotta explain it to Rubio; he just pretends to believe what he says."
The regional paper "Rhein-Zeitung" reads: "The issue of illegalization of AfD appears at an absolutely incorrect time. The subject is more sensitive, more explosive than almost anyone else. In the end, this involves considerable interference in the German organization landscape, as the constitution permits. However, AfD won about 20 percent of the vote in the last general election. The organization may be delegated, but not its voters".
The paper "Landshuter Zeitung" estimates: "Friedrich Merz must make a decision. Without the votes of his party, the majority needed to carry out the illegalisation procedure would be lacking. The Chancellor could cover up upcoming legal disputes and thus play on time. Strategically, however, it would not be a good move. In the coming year elections will be held in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate and then in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. These are the lands where AfD is powerfully represented or even the strongest force in the polls. The unclear position of CDU president on the ban for AfD would be a burden under which campaigners could break down".
