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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| German top court blocks ban on far right NPD | German top court blocks ban on far right NPD |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Germany's highest court has rejected a historic attempt to ban the country's far-right National Democratic Party (NPD). | |
| The Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the NPD did not have the potential to overthrow democracy in Germany. | The Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the NPD did not have the potential to overthrow democracy in Germany. |
| The NPD has around 5,000 members but no seats in the Bundestag, the German parliament's lower house. | The NPD has around 5,000 members but no seats in the Bundestag, the German parliament's lower house. |
| It is the second time an attempt to ban the NPD has failed. In 2003 a scandal over undercover agents prevented a ban. | It is the second time an attempt to ban the NPD has failed. In 2003 a scandal over undercover agents prevented a ban. |
| The case against the NPD was brought by the state governments represented in the upper house, the Bundesrat. | The case against the NPD was brought by the state governments represented in the upper house, the Bundesrat. |
| The federal government supported the action, but was not directly involved in the case. | The federal government supported the action, but was not directly involved in the case. |
| The constitutional court in Karlsruhe ruled that the NPD was hostile to German democracy but the party "lacks sufficient weight to enable its actions to lead to success". | The constitutional court in Karlsruhe ruled that the NPD was hostile to German democracy but the party "lacks sufficient weight to enable its actions to lead to success". |
| Rise of AfD | Rise of AfD |
| The NPD has 338 local council seats - 264 of them in the former communist East Germany. The party has no seats in regional assemblies, since it failed to reach the election threshold in September in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. | The NPD has 338 local council seats - 264 of them in the former communist East Germany. The party has no seats in regional assemblies, since it failed to reach the election threshold in September in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. |
| The court ruling comes as the NPD has mostly been eclipsed by the rise of the right-wing, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). | The court ruling comes as the NPD has mostly been eclipsed by the rise of the right-wing, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD). |
| The AfD is expected to win some seats in the general election in September, and is seen as a threat to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU). | The AfD is expected to win some seats in the general election in September, and is seen as a threat to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU). |
| Only the constitutional court can ban a party in Germany. It has happened only twice since the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. | Only the constitutional court can ban a party in Germany. It has happened only twice since the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. |
| A successor to the Nazis, the Socialist Reich Party of Germany (SRP), was banned in 1952. And in 1956 the then West Germany banned the Communist Party (KPD). | A successor to the Nazis, the Socialist Reich Party of Germany (SRP), was banned in 1952. And in 1956 the then West Germany banned the Communist Party (KPD). |
| NPD members have joined regular "anti-Islamisation" marches by the right-wing Pegida organisation, based in Dresden. | NPD members have joined regular "anti-Islamisation" marches by the right-wing Pegida organisation, based in Dresden. |