Bjorn Hock, one of Germany’s most prominent far-right leaders, went on trial Thursday, facing charges of using banned Nazi slogans at political rallies.
The use of National Socialist slogans and symbols is a punishable offense in Germany, where restrictions on free speech are much stricter than in democracies such as the United States due to the impact of Hitler’s rise to power.
Hock is the head of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Thuringia, whose German abbreviation is AfD. Both he and the state department he heads are classified as right-wing extremists by domestic intelligence services and are under surveillance.
He faces trial for using the slogan “All for Germany” in a speech in the eastern state of Saxony. This was the slogan of the National Socialist paramilitary group, or SA, etched on their swords.
Mr Hawke said he had no idea the phrase was a Nazi slogan. But critics insist that this is not credible given that he was a history teacher before becoming a politician. They also point out that AfD politicians in two other states have been stopped by authorities for using the slogan in the past few years.
The trial will take place in State Supreme Court in Harley and is expected to last until May 14. If convicted, Hawke could face a short jail term or a fine. The court could also decide to temporarily revoke his right to vote and stand for election. Such a decision would be a major blow in Germany’s crucial election year, in which Mr Hawke and the AfD are expected to gain the largest share of the vote.
Of 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 ruling parties despite nationwide mass support protest The incident erupted after investigative reports revealed that some AfD members attended a secret meeting to discuss deporting immigrants.
The AfD’s recent resurgence started at the end spring, when it benefited from anxiety over rising immigration and frustration with the government’s inability to handle the country’s stagnating economy. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s governing coalition has looked weak and divided throughout.
Although the Alternative for Germany is still unlikely to come to power in one of the three states, Mr Hawke has become one of the party’s most influential members.
Analysts say Mr Hawke is a far-right politician and the court found it acceptable to address him by that name fascism — has not only succeeded in pushing his own party further to the right, but also contributed to the wider political debate, particularly on issues such as immigration. For example, Germany’s largest political party, the conservative Christian Democrats, has taken an increasingly hostile stance toward immigration.
Mainstream parties across the political spectrum have long vowed not to cooperate with the AfD, and many are now seeking legal ways to curb the party’s influence in ways that have raised concerns. debate around the extent to which democracy can resist the forces that undermine it.
Alternative for Germany leaders like Hock believe they have become victims of an abuse of power by state institutions to suppress them.He recently posted comments in English on social media that sparked the interest of Elon Musk, who ask Why the slogan he used was illegal.
“Because every patriot in Germany is slandered as a Nazi and because Germany has a legal text in its criminal code that is not found in any other democratic country,” he wrote In response. “These are designed to prevent Germany from finding itself again.”
A skilled orator, Hawke often sought to reintroduce words and slogans associated with the Third Reich, in what analysts described as a dual strategy.
“It’s not random – it’s carefully chosen,” said Johannes Hillje, a German political scientist who studies the AfD.
He said the terms could be a dog whistle to more extreme right-wing supporters. Mr. Hawke, meanwhile, has chosen what appears to be a relatively banal slogan.
In a televised debate last week, Hawke insisted the slogan he was being sued for was so common that Deutsche Telekom, Germany’s main phone operator, used it in advertising. (The company denied this and issued a cease-and-desist order against Mr. Höcke.)
Still, Hilger said the effect was to make state institutions appear biased against the Alternative for Germany because it is an anti-establishment force.
“It allowed him to play the victim, which worked well for him and his supporters because they felt like victims too,” he said.
Prosecutors succeeded in bringing a second charge against Mr Hawke at his trial last week. After facing charges for his initial use of the slogan, he mocked it at another political rally, shouting “All for—” to the crowd and asking supporters to shout the final word, “Germany!”
The trial is expected to draw large crowds of pro- and anti-AfD protesters.
In a statement on social media, Houck called on his supporters to come and attend his trial: “I invite you to come to Halle and see for yourself the state of civil rights, democracy and the rule of law in Germany,” he wrote.
