The Thuringian AfD politician Björn Höcke has been fined 13,000 euros for using a SA slogan, “All for Germany.” The Thuringian CDU and Left Party leaders are calling for political consequences to be taken. Thuringia’s CDU chief Mario Voigt believes that after his conviction, Höcke should not be given political responsibility in the state, as it is now official that his Nazi slogans are not lawful. The Landgericht Halle decided that Höcke must pay 100 daily rates of 130 euros. The verdict is not yet final, with the possibility of revision within a week.
The Thuringian CDU leader Mario Voigt believes that after the court ruling against Höcke, he should not be given any political responsibility in Thuringia. Voigt stated that it is now official that Höcke’s Nazi slogans are not lawful, and it is their responsibility to defeat him at the ballot box. The 52-year-old Höcke denied knowingly using a banned SA (Sturmabteilung) slogan of the Nazi party in the trial. The AfD, classified as far-right by the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is leading in polls ahead of the CDU in Thuringia, with a new state parliament election scheduled for September 1.
The chairman of the Thuringian Left Party, Ulrike Grosse-Röthig, described the legal actions against the AfD as a “legal double whammy”: the fine against Höcke in Halle and the previous verdict against the AfD in Münster. Grosse-Röthig criticized the AfD for repeatedly using National Socialist ideology and undermining democracy. She called for officials with AfD membership to be removed from the police and judiciary, stating that the party distorts fascism, uses its language, and threatens society. She demanded swift action to assess evidence of the party endangering democracy, justifying a ban.
During a speech in Merseburg in May 2021, Björn Höcke said, “All for our homeland, all for Saxony-Anhalt, all for Germany.” The third part of this statement contains a banned Nazi slogan. Grosse-Röthig emphasized the need for clear steps against the party and the removal of officials with AfD membership from law enforcement and the judiciary. She urged a prompt assessment of evidence to determine if a ban of the Höcke faction is warranted for endangering democracy.
The verdict against Höcke for using a SA slogan has sparked debate and calls for political consequences in Thuringia. The CDU and Left Party leaders are demanding that Höcke should not be given political responsibility in the state, with Voigt stating that it is their responsibility to defeat him at the ballot box. The Left Party’s Grosse-Röthig criticized the AfD for promoting National Socialist ideology and undermining democracy, calling for officials with AfD membership to be removed from law enforcement and the judiciary. The legal actions against the AfD in Halle and Münster have intensified concerns about the party’s impact on society and democracy.
