Gespräch mit dem Münchner Merkur über den richtigen Umgang mit der AfD
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Tag: germany
Will the right-wing extremist NPD be banned? We have no idea, actually
After a subjective decade, the trial that could lead to a ban of the right-wing extremist NPD, Germany’s oldest surviving Extreme Right party, has finally begun this week. That alone is news: Last time around, a blocking minority of the judges was so concerned about the unknown informers within the party’s leadership that the proceedings…
Trial that could lead to NPD ban begins today
Today is the first day of the Constitutional Court trial that could lead to a ban of the right-wing extremist NPD. The DW piece here has the basic facts, and there is some back story scattered all over the blog.
The AfD and refugees: Fire (and forget)
Everyone is excited this morning, because AfD leader Frauke Petry suggested that German police officers should shoot refugees at the border if necessary (what ever that means). With the usual qualifications and rhetorical back doors, the party is happily channeling the vigilante spirit that has grabbed parts of the German public. Disgust and free headlines…
Guest blogging at Policy Network: Mass migration, terrorism fears, and Germany’s CDU
So far, Germany’s mainstream parties have resisted the temptation to construct a link between the current mass migration of refugees from the middle east and the growing (?) risk of islamist terror attacks in Europe. In a piece I wrote for Policy Network, I take a long(ish) hard look at the respective positions of Merkel’s…
One baby step towards banning the right-wing extremist NPD
Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court has inched a little closer towards banning Germany’s oldest far-right party. After pondering the issue (and more importantly, the evidence) for a mere two years, the court has formally opened the proceedings that could result in a ban. A previous attempt to outlaw the NPD collapsed in 2003 because of the…
Interview mit Deutschlandradio Kultur: Eiltempo schadet dem Ansehen des Parlaments
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Guest blogging at the IASGP: The state of the AfD
This week, I’m moonlighting at the International Association for the Study of German Politics (that is quite a mouthful). Click on the link below for the full text. “However, it is still difficult to assess what kind of party the AfD wants to be, and what they stand for. From its beginnings, the AfD has…
AfD party conference votes down exec’s proposal on asylum, adopts more radical resolution
Following the meeting in July that led to a split of the party, the AfD is holding another party conference this weekend. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that the assembly has just voted down a position paper on asylum drafted by the national exec and backed by the new leader. Internally, the paper was seen as…
Why is Germany’s bioethics legislation so restrictive?
Germany’s restrictive bioethics legislation in general, and its very tight rules on embryology and fertilisation in particular, present a puzzle for political science. Early on, the country has enacted liberal rules in other moral policy domains, most notably the abortion law of 1975 (Richardt, 2003: 113). The full range of prenatal diagnosis is available to…