German Far-Right Leader Goes on Trial for Nazi Slogans
Björn Höcke, one of the most prominent far-right figures in Germany, has called the trial an attempt to suppress patriotism.
Björn Höcke heads the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the state of Thuringia.Credit…Sean Gallup/Getty Images
One of Germany’s most prominent far-right leaders, Björn Höcke, stands trial on Thursday, facing charges of using banned Nazi slogans at political rallies.
Using National Socialist slogans and symbols is a punishable crime in Germany, which, because of the legacy of Hitler’s rise to power, has a far more restrictive approach to free speech compared to democracies like the United States.
Mr. Höcke heads the far-right Alternative for Germany, known by its German abbreviation, AfD, in the state of Thuringia. Both he and the state branch he leads have been classified by domestic intelligence as right-wing extremist and are under surveillance.
He is facing trial for using the slogan “Everything for Germany” at a speech in the eastern state of Saxony, where he is being put on trial. It was the slogan of the National Socialist paramilitary group, or Storm Troopers, and was engraved on their knives.
Mr. Höcke has said he did not know the phrase was a Nazi slogan. But critics have insisted that argument is not credible, given he was a history teacher before he became a politician. And they note that AfD politicians in two other states have already been stopped by authorities in past years for using the slogan.
The trial will take place in the city of Halle, at the state’s highest court and is expected to last until May 14. If found guilty, Mr. Höcke could face a short prison term or a fine. The court could also decide to temporarily revoke his right to vote and run in elections. Such a decision would be a major blow during a pivotal election year in Germany, in which Mr. Höcke and the AfD are expected to gain the largest share of votes.
In all three eastern German states holding elections later this year, the AfD is the most popular party. And nationwide, it is polling better than any of the three governing parties, in spite of nationwide mass protests that erupted after an investigative report revealed some AfD members had attended a secretive conference to discuss deporting immigrants.
The AfD’s latest resurgence started last spring, when it benefited from anxieties over rising migration and frustration with the government’s poor handling of the country’s stagnating economy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition looked weak and divided throughout.
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Björn Höcke heads the far-right Alternative for Germany party in the state of Thuringia.Credit…Sean Gallup/Getty Images