German minister seeks to block far-right NPD access to state funding

Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere is seeking to halt the far-right National Democratic Party of Germany's (NPD) access to state funding.

All political parties in Germany receive state funding in proportion to factors such as their success in state, federal and European elections. The NPD currently has no seats at state or federal level but has one seat in the European Parliament. In 2015, the party received 1.3 million euros from the German state.

In January, Germany's constitutional court -- the nation's highest -- ruled against banning the NPD. The court did find that the NPD has unconstitutional aims, specifically that of overthrowing the existing order by replacing democratic rule with authoritarianism. However, since it also found that the extremist party was incapable of realizing this objective, a ban was not justified. But the court did indicate the NPD could be excluded from government funding.

A Federal Council resolution in February said that parties pursuing "anti-constitutional aims" and "disregarding human dignity" should not receive government funds with which to achieve their goals.

De Maiziere, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Party (CDU), is now initiating a legislative process to exclude further funding. He said he was working closely with colleagues in the Justice and Treasury ministries to secure his goal.

The process is complicated as it requires changing the constitution, making a two-thirds majority in both houses of the German parliament, the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, necessary. Endit