Germany hosts democracy defence events in Cologne and Fürth

On 19 June, Heribert Prantl – journalist, publicist and author – spoke at a free public forum in Cologne’s Luther Church about protecting democracy and the possibility of a ban on the AfD. He argued that a party‑ban procedure would be “a visible expression of constitutional resistance against extremism” and quoted: “Zu den Freiheiten der Demokratie gehört es nicht, die Demokratie umzubringen.” The event was organised by NRW Appell, the Luther Church, the initiative “AfD‑Verbot jetzt” and the Melanchthon‑Academy.

On 24 June, a walk in the Südstadt district of Fürth examined how neighbourhood interaction can serve as a “seed of democracy”. Organized by KEB MittenInFranken together with the city‑district office, the Evangelical Education Center, Caritas Fürth and the local adult‑education centre, participants discussed everyday engagement and the fight against loneliness as foundations of democratic society.