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Published May 15, 2025last updated May 15, 2025New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed skepticism regarding a potential ban on the far-right AfD, which was recently classified as “right-wing extremist” pending an appeal. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uQVU
New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed skepticism regarding a potential ban on the far-right AfDImage: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture allianceSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to knowIn a newspaper interview, Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was “skeptical of procedures” to ban political parties, amid debate over the far-right populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was recently classified as “extremist” by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency.
Welcome to DW’s coverage of political developments in Germany on Thursday, May 15, 2025
Skip next section Germany backs 5% NATO defense spending targetMay 15, 2025
Germany backs 5% NATO defense spending targetGerman Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday that Berlin accepts in principle the demand from the United States that NATO member states increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Speaking on the sidelines of an informal gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey, Wadephul said: “The result is the 5% that President [Donald] Trump has called for, and we will follow him in this respect.”
NATO members are currently committed to spending at least 2% of GDP on military expenditure, a target which around one third of the alliance still doesn’t meet, including Portugal (1.55%), Italy (1.49%), Canada (1.37%), Belgium (1.3%) and Spain (1.28%).
Germany currently spends just over 2% of its GDP on defense and new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week that each additional percentage point would mean further annual expenditure of €45 billion ($50.5 billion).
Read more on what Wadephul and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on ramping up NATO defense spending here.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uRSj
Skip next section EU prepared to act if US tariff talks fail – German finance ministerMay 15, 2025
EU prepared to act if US tariff talks fail – German finance ministerKlingbeil is also Germany’s vice chancellor Image: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture allianceGermany’s new finance minister, Lars Klingbeil, has called on the European Union (EU) to react to US tariffs in a “unified and determined” manner should trade talks with Washington collapse.
Klingbeil – who, as parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), is also Germany’s vice-chancellor – said the German government was confident negotiations between the EU and the Trump administration “could lead to a good result.”
But he also warned that the bloc was “prepared to act if this does not succeed.”
US President Donald Trump levied 20% tariffs on EU goods at the start of April, only to reduce the rate to 10% until July 8 pending the outcome of talks. 25% tariffs on European steel and aluminum products, including cars, have remained in place.
Should US-EU negotiations not bear fruit, the EU has reportedly prepared tariffs on American goods worth up to one billion dollars.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uQyQ
Skip next section Merz ‘skeptical’ of banning political parties like the AfDMay 15, 2025
Merz ‘skeptical’ of banning political parties like the AfDGermany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has expressed doubts over the appropriateness of a suggested ban on the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came second in February’s federal election.
“I’m always very skeptical of procedures to ban political parties,” Merz told German broadsheet Die Zeit on Thursday.
“And I’ve always refrained from conducting such procedures from the center ground in parliament. That smells too much like getting rid of political opponents to me.”
At the end of April, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz or BfV) classified the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor” – although it will initially refrain from using the term pending the outcome of a legal appeal lodged by the party.
Merz said that it must be “proven” that the AfD is working “aggressively and combatively against the liberal and democratic order” in Germany, a burden of proof which lies with the executive, the state, rather than with the legislature, the parliament.
In its decision, the BfV said the AfD’s platform contained “distinctive ethnicity- and ancestry-based understanding that devalues entire population groups in Germany and violates their human dignity.”
Although the AfD polls around 20%, Germany’s major political parities like Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) refuse to form a coalition with the radical, right-wing party.
A majority of Germans share the view that the AfD’s agenda runs counter to democracy, the rule of law and human dignity. But how best to deal with the far-right party is becoming an issue that could further divide German society.
What does designated as ‘extremist’ mean for Germany’s AfD?To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
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Skip next section Welcome to our coverageMay 15, 2025
Welcome to our coverageGuten Tag and welcome to our coverage of political developments in Germany on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
Since officially taking office, Germany’s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has largely focussed on setting up his foreign policy agenda, visiting Paris, Warsaw and Kyiv with fellow European leaders and speaking to US President Donald Trump on the phone.
On Thursday, in an exclusive interview with German broadsheet Die Zeit, Merz turned his attention to domestic issues including a proposed ban on the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
https://p.dw.com/p/4uQZL
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