German conservative urges review of AfD ban after eastern election gains

A senior German conservative is calling for an examination of a potential ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, days after its strong electoral performance. Hendrik Wüst, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, proposed a federal-state working group to review constitutional options. Wüst, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU, warned against hasty moves, stating a party ban should be a last resort to protect the constitution. He emphasized the need for a careful, professional review by federal and state governments on how to handle a party pursuing anti-constitutional aims in some states. Under German law, the Federal Constitutional Court can ban parties upon petition from parliament or government. Domestic intelligence has classified the AfD as a "confirmed" extremist organization in several eastern states, including Saxony-Anhalt, where the party won 43.8% of the vote on Sunday.