Hape Kerkeling invited to Thuringian parliament hearing on possible AfD ban

The Thuringian Landtag has scheduled a public hearing for 30 September 2026 to examine a possible ban of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The initiative was launched by the Left party’s parliamentary group, which argues that the party’s positions may be constitutionally hostile. The hearing will include a written consultation until the end of August and will feature invited speakers such as constitutional law experts, a journalist, representatives of civil‑society organisations and entertainer Hape Kerkeling, who was asked to testify at the request of the Left faction. Kerkeling’s office said he will not comment on the matter. A petition calling for Kerkeling to become president of Germany has gathered about 137 000 signatures. Under Germany’s constitutional system, only the Federal Constitutional Court can ban a party, after an application by the Bundestag, the Bundesrat or the federal government. The article also notes that the Left faction opposes a Verfassungsschutz monitoring proposal and stresses that the focus should remain on a possible AfD ban.