Charlotte Knobloch warns of AfD danger to German democracy

Charlotte Knobloch, a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor and president of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, has issued a warning regarding the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Knobloch stated that while she has witnessed the rise and fall of various far-right groups such as the NPD, DVU, and Republicans, she considers the AfD to be more dangerous than any of them.

Knobloch noted that while the AfD should not be equated directly with the Nazi Party (NSDAP), there are significant parallels to the period before the Nazi seizure of power. She expressed concern that Germany is “staggering” and questioned whether the country will remain a democracy. Consequently, she has called for much tougher measures to combat radicalism.

In Germany, the power to ban a political party rests solely with the Federal Constitutional Court. For a ban to be successful, authorities such as the Bundestag, Bundesrat, or Federal Government must demonstrate not only unconstitutional attitudes but also a concrete possibility that the party’s efforts could successfully undermine the free democratic basic order.