A second candidate nominated by Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) for a seat on the Federal Constitutional Court has publicly supported a potential ban on the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), the second-largest party in the country.
Ann-Katrin Kaufhold, a 48-year-old legal scholar from Munich, expressed her support for initiating a ban procedure against the AfD during a public discussion in November 2024, stating that politicians were hesitant to initiate a procedure out of fear that the constitutional court might reject a ban.
The argument that we believe the party is dangerous, but won’t file the request because we’re afraid of failure—I don’t find that convincing.
Kaufhold follows in the footsteps of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, another SPD nominee for the constitutional court, who has openly advocated for banning the right-wing AfD.
Her candidacy has drawn scrutiny from some members of the center-right CDU/CSU bloc, who have expressed scepticism about her liberal stance on abortion and her support for compulsory vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vote on the election of new judges was postponed until September.
According to media outlet Nius.de, the two women may have been deliberately chosen as constitutional court judge nominees by the SPD for the intended purpose of banning the AfD.
