German high court may ban neo-Nazi party

Members say they pose no danger, would appeal limits

Germany’s highest court BERLIN is set to decide this week whether to ban the far-right neo-Nazi party, in a case brought by lawmakers who call the group a threat to the country’s democratic system.

The controversial case, to be ruled on Tuesday, claims the extremist National Democratic Party (NPD) and its beliefs violate Germany’s constitution.

“The NPD is a racist, anti-Semitic, revisionist and anti-democratic party — their ideology clearly springs from (Hitler’s) Nazi party,” members of the upper house of parliament said in their opening statement during a threeday court hearing last March.

As Germany grapples with the challenge of integrating more than 1 million refugees, the NPD is escalating its scare tactics and violent attacks, said the lawmakers, who are empowered by law to petition Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court.

But NPD members are optimistic the court will rule in their favor.

“I am relatively certain there won’t be a ban,” said Peter Richter, a party member and attorney who has represented the NPD in the case. “The evidence shown in court has not proven the NPD poses a danger for Germany’s free democratic order.”

The court’s eagerly awaited decision comes as Germany has seen an uptick in violence that some blame on groups whose views match those of the NPD.

Even if the Constitutional Court does ban the NPD, Richter said the party plans to appeal at the European Court of Human Rights, which has overturned bans on other political parties.

“The European Court upholds a clear criteria for a ban — that a party has to demonstrate a degree of danger to the state,” Richter said. “That isn’t evident here.”

The court’s eagerly awaited decision comes as Germany has seen an uptick in violence that some blame on groups whose views match those of the NPD.