Court overturns exclusion of AfD city councilor Nico Köhler – what now?

Court overturns exclusion of AfD city councilor Nico Köhler – what now?

A hot potato for the AfD: The Chemnitz Administrative Court has decided that the exclusion of Chemnitz city councilor Nico Köhler from the AfD parliamentary group is temporarily inadmissible. This means that the 48-year-old politician, who hit the headlines because of allegations of bribery against parliamentary group members, can have a say and participate in decisions again until the case is finally clarified. The judgment of July 11th (file number 5 L 414/25) surprises many, not least because the parliamentary group executive committee was unable to adequately substantiate the allegations made about a disturbed relationship of trust, as radiochemnitz.de reports.

At the heart of the conflict are ongoing allegations that Köhler made against members of the parliamentary group in April and which are connected to the decision to relocate parts of the city administration to the former Kaufhof gallery. The court made it clear that there had been no internal investigation of these allegations before the exclusion and that a mandatory arbitration procedure had not been carried out. These shortcomings cast a worrying light on the internal workings of the AfD parliamentary group.

Look at the faction dynamics

The parliamentary group executive committee led by parliamentary group leader Volker Dringenberg has taken note of the administrative court's decision, but is dissatisfied with the situation and has already lodged a complaint. Köhler had previously been expelled from the parliamentary group for a second time in June, a step that the court now sees as unjustified because Köhler was not heard sufficiently. This leads to a critical look at the AfD's internal communication structures, with the faction waiting for the court proceedings to bring about a final clarification, as tag24.de explores.

The political dispute over the exclusion reflects a larger problem that affects the AfD as a whole. The party is not only in focus due to internal conflicts, but is also closely monitored externally. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has already classified the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist case, and discussions about possible party ban proceedings are in full swing. The reason: The AfD is increasingly associated with anti-constitutional efforts, which leads to growing concern for Germany's free-democratic basic order, as explained on verfassungsblog.de.

The uncertainty remains

While the AfD faction is making a new attempt to exclude Köhler, the final development of the case remains uncertain. The question is not only how the internal balance of power will change, but also what influence the administrative court's decision will have on the public's perception of the AfD. The exclusion of a city councilor due to sudden allegations not only raises questions about internal processes, but could also have repercussions on the party's popularity with voters. In the past, the AfD has received around 20% of the vote in state elections, showing how tense the German political landscape is.
The next steps in this legal dispute will be followed with interest. There are plans to ban a party and could heat up the political debate accordingly.