Nationalist party may be prohibited in Germany

The scandal about attempts to outlaw Germany’s National Democratic Party (NPD) is growning. Last week, the Constitutional Court of Germany postponed consideration of the government’s suit (supported by both chambers of the German government, the Bundestag and Bundesrat) after information about the presence of German special services among the National Democrats appeared. Wolfgang Frenz, the deputy head of the party’s branch in Nordrhein-Westfalen, was an informers. When the details of the case were published, the opposition forces in Bundestag demanded the resignation of Minister for Internal Affairs and Social Democrat Otto Schilly. The opposition claimst that such methods can not be used in the struggle with political parties, as the consequences of it are unpredictable. But more likely, the opposition is trying to gain popularity in the pre-election race. Parliamentarian elections in Germany are scheduled for this autumn. Thus, the scandal about the "neo-Nazis" has come in handy for the opposition.

The problem of nationalist activity has been pressing for a long period already. The failure of the German government to clamp down on neo-Nazis harms Germany’s image on the international scene. It reminds people of the beginning of the 1930s, when Hitler’s National Socialists consolidated their positions with the connivance of Germany’s political leadership. Times have certainly changed, and the threat of neo-Nazis coming to power cannot be treated seriously. However, it is quite evident that their popularity is growing.

What prevents the nationalists from entering the Bundestag? Joerg Haider demonstrated the possibility in Austria. The German nationalists must now find a presentable leader. The National Democratic Party is one of the largest and most influential right-wing organizations in Germany. The party’s program accuses foreigners of many problems in German society; their platform is known to many people. Thus, the prohibition of the party would undermine Germany’s nationalist movement. To prove the validity of the prohibition, the initiators say they will present convincing documents to the Constitutional Court. The scandal about the informers in the party may reduce the efforts of the federal government to nothing.

There is no doubt that the opposition will try to use the spy case scandal to the maximum. Minister for Internal Affairs Otto Schilly and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will soon face a grave struggle with the opposition on the problem. The result of the struggle will define the future of the National Democratic arty in Germany. Indeed, there is no doubt that the nationalists pose a threat to the current German government. This is Germany’s private problem.

Vasily Bubnov PRAVDA.Ru

In the picture: young nationalist activist {BBC News photo)

Translated by Maria Gousseva