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5 months ago
22
Björn Höcke, one of the leading figures in Germany’s far-right AfD party, will go on trial on Thursday for allegedly using Nazi symbols, casting doubt on his ambitions to become prime minister of the state of Thuringia.
The AfD’s chairman in the eastern German state of Thuringia is accused of using a forbidden slogan of the “Sturmabteilung,” the official paramilitary wing of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party.
The former history teacher defended himself by saying he did not know the true meaning of “Alles für Deutschland (“Everything for Germany”) — a phrase often used by the Sturmabteilung.
In Germany, the use of the phrase, along with other symbols of banned parties such as the Nazi salute, is punishable by law.
While a few local AfD politicians have used the phrase at minor events without any legal consequences, AfD expert Hendrik Cremer from the German Institute for Human Rights says Höcke’s use of it—a first for such a high-ranking party official—is no accident.
“On the one hand, he is signalling to his die-hard supporters that his agenda is indeed based on National Socialism,” Cremer told Euractiv.
“At the same time, his statements aim to shift the discourse in society as a whole by deliberately breaking taboos and making right-wing extremist positions the norm.“
The trial
Höcke allegedly used the banned phrase in May 2021 in Merseburg, where he incorporated it into his speech by shouting “Everything for our homeland, everything for Saxony-Anhalt, everything for Germany.”
In a second incident, in Gera (Thuringia), he gestured to his audience to complete the sentence, starting with “Alles für” and encouraging his supporters to complete it.
Officially, he is on trial for allegedly using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations, and if convicted, he could face a sentence of up to three years in prison.
The verdict could also affect his bid for election to the state parliament in September, as Thuringia’s electoral law states that a judge’s decision can bar him from standing for election.
However, for Cremer, whether the trial will damage Höcke’s public image remains to be seen. “It can be assumed that he will trivialise himself during the trial and present himself as a victim.”
Der Flügel
Höcke himself is an influential figure within the AfD. While he has ambitions to become the next prime minister of Thuringia, he is known for representing the nationalist wing of the far-right party.
He was the leading figure of an ethno-nationalist group within the AfD — Der Flügel — which is said to have gained significant support from eastern German party members.
In March 2020, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) classified the organisation as a “secured right-wing extremist movement.” A month later, the AfD leadership called on the organisation to disband.
However, the dissolved structure still has its influence on the party, and the BfV still considers the organisation to be a “suspected case.”
Cremer explained that Höcke could expand his nationalist views within the party, even without a party position at the federal level.
In the party leadership at the federal level, “there is no longer anyone who opposes the course forced by Höcke,” Cremer said.
As chairman of the Thuringia AfD, the unofficial wing-leader aims to become prime minister after state elections in September. His party is currently leading the polls with 31%, according to a recent survey by the INSA Institute. This is well ahead of his closest rival, the conservative CDU (EPP), which is currently at 21%.
The Thuringia regional party is already being monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a “proven right-wing extremist.”
In a televised debate last week, Höcke maintained his innocence, arguing that he had loosely translated former US President Donald Trump’s “America first” slogan.
Asked by Euractiv about the upcoming trial, Höcke’s office said he would not comment on it before it started.
(Kjeld Neubert | Euractiv.de)
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