Spahn Proposes Stripping Höcke’s Voting Rights Instead of AfD Ban—July 10

Jens Spahn, leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, proposed on July 10 that German authorities strip Thuringia’s AfD chief Björn Höcke of his active and passive voting rights instead of pursuing a ban on the entire party. Spahn said in the Focus podcast “Machtmenschen” that officials should explore whether someone “extremely right-wing” like Höcke could lose the right to vote and be elected. The proposal marks a new strategy among mainstream parties to counter the far-right threat.

Why Spahn targets Höcke specifically

Höcke has faced repeated legal consequences for extremist rhetoric. The Halle regional court convicted him twice for using a banned SA parody. His Thuringia AfD branch has been classified as “reliably right-extremist” by the state intelligence service since 2021. Spahn framed the proposal as a middle ground: “Everyone always talks about party bans. What if we simply pursued a procedure to see whether someone extremely right-wing like him could lose his active and passive voting rights?”

Constitutional experts say the bar is too high

Berlin’s former justice senator and constitutional law expert Rupert Scholz, 89, told BILD that Spahn’s proposal is “absurd.” Scholz explained that voting rights, whether active or passive, are a democratic fundamental right. The German Basic Law and the Federal Constitutional Court permit stripping voting rights only after convictions for the highest crimes: treason, election fraud, or similar offenses. Höcke’s convictions do not meet that threshold. “This clearly does not apply to Höcke,” Scholz said.

Other politicians float similar ideas

Spahn is not alone. In mid-June, former federal finance minister Peer Steinbrück of the SPD called for removing passive voting rights from individual AfD politicians, including Höcke. Recently, CSU politicians in Bavaria signaled openness to a partial ban targeting parts of the AfD rather than the whole party. CSU leader Markus Söder and the party leadership have rejected a full party ban. Spahn reiterated his firm opposition to any cooperation with the AfD, saying those who work for Putin, spy for China, or use extreme language are excluded from CDU partnership.

The broader AfD debate

Germany’s mainstream parties continue to wrestle with how to respond to the AfD’s growth. A full party ban would require proving the AfD poses an imminent threat to the constitutional order, a high legal hurdle. Targeted measures against individual politicians offer an alternative, though constitutional experts argue the legal barriers remain steep. The debate reflects deep concern among German political elites about far-right influence ahead of state and federal elections.

Final Thoughts

While Spahn’s proposal offers a tactical alternative to a full party ban, constitutional law experts say German courts would likely reject it. Höcke’s convictions do not meet the legal threshold for voting rights removal under the Basic Law. The proposal signals mainstream parties’ struggle to find legally sound tools against extremism.

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