Germany’s highest court ruled that a far-right party will not receive state funding for the next six years because its values and goals are unconstitutional and aimed at destroying the country’s democracy.
In its judgment, the Federal Constitutional Court wrote that Die Heimat, formerly known as the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), “continues to disregard the free democratic basic order and, according to its goals and the behaviour of its members and supporters, is aimed at its elimination”.
Presiding Judge Doris Koenig, the court’s vice-president, explained the unanimous decision by saying that the party’s political concept was incompatible with the guarantee of human dignity as defined in Germany’s constitution, the Basic Law.
Die Heimat adheres to an ethnic concept of German identity and the idea that the country’s “national community” is based on descent, the judge said.
“The propagation of the ethnically defined community leads to a disregard for foreigners, migrants and minorities that violates human dignity and the principle of elementary legal equality,” Koenig said.
The German government, as well as the lower and upper houses of parliament, took the party to court. They presented evidence that they said proved Die Heimat was a racist organisation, with anti-Muslim and antisemitic ideology, and also pointed to its rejection of transgender people.
The government created the possibility of denying state funding to a political party after two attempts to ban Die Heimat failed. German news agency dpa reported.
Party leader Frank Franz played down the significance of Tuesday’s ruling.
“Yes, it’s not nice for us,” Franz said, according to dpa. “But anyone who thinks this will throw us out of the game and stop us is very much mistaken.”
