Latest news with #Hubig
Gulf Insider
7 days ago
- General
- Gulf Insider
"We Must Not Hesitate" – German Justice Minister Open To AfD Ban
Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig, of the left-wing Social Democrats (SPD), is keeping the hope for a ban on the Alternative for Germany (AfD) alive, saying a ban should still be on the table. She told German newspaper Rheinische Post a ban should not be 'dismissed for political reasons alone.' She also brushed away concerns that the AfD could 'once again portray itself as a victim' if ban proceedings are initiated. Most of the main German parties have advocated for an AfD ban, including many top politicians from the SPD. However, a vote must first pass in the German parliament, the Bundestag, and then be approved by the Bundesrat, which is represented by the 16 German states. From there, it would need to go to the top German court, the Constitutional Court, which could still reject such a ban as unconstitutional — a risk many opposed to a ban have cited for not moving forward with such a proposal. Hubig acknowledges that the legal hurdles remain high. A ban of the largest opposition party in the country, and one that has reached first place in some polls, would potentially end German democracy, but this is not deterring many from the German political establishment. Hubig said that it must be examined whether the AfD 'is systematically and actively opposing the free democratic order, and whether this can be proven.' She said that if such a finding is determined, the government is obligated to take action. 'Then we must not hesitate,' she said, saying that the Basic Law, the German constitution, is her 'compass.' She also claimed in the same interview that legal action against the AfD should not replace political debate. 'Because many people who vote for this party are not right-wing extremists. As democratic parties, we want to regain their trust,' she claimed, although, her openness to a ban appears to contradict this view. Even if a ban is voted on, it would likely still take years for the case to be decided by the Constitutional Court. Perhaps even more important is that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has rejected such a ban, and without his Christian Democrats (CDU), there is no chance for such a ban at the moment. Merz not only ruled out a ban, but he used extraordinarily harsh language against the measure despite earlier rumors that he was receptive to such a ban. 'Working 'aggressively and militantly' against the free democratic basic order must be proven. And the burden of proof lies solely with the state. That is a classic task of the executive branch. And I have always internally resisted initiating ban proceedings from within the Bundestag. That smacks too much of political competition elimination to me,' he warned. For now, Merz holds most of the power in regard to an AfD ban, although his new coalition partners, the SPD, have hinted they would not accept a coalition agreement if a move towards a ban is not initiated. It remains unclear how far the SPD will go to get what they want regarding the AfD. Source Zero Hedge
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German minister calls for ban on far-right AfD to be considered
Germany's new justice minister came out in favour of considering legal action to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in remarks to the national daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung released on Thursday. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) said the AfD had to be taken seriously as "a possible threat to our democracy." She added: "This necessarily includes looking into banning the party." Calls for the AfD to be banned have grown louder after Germany's domestic intelligence agency upgraded its assessment of the party from "suspected" to "confirmed right-wing extremist" at the beginning of this month, a move that comes with more surveillance power over the party. However, the intelligence agency has suspended the assessment pending the outcome of an application for an urgent injunction against the classification filed by the AfD. Hubig told the conservative daily that a ban was the sharpest weapon that German democracy had at its disposal to defend itself against enemies and that it should not be used prematurely. But if thorough examination revealed that the conditions were right it would be difficult to justify not making use of it, she added. Hubig said that the new government, a coalition of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives and the SPD, would discuss the possibility of seeking a ban and come up with a joint response. Merz has said he is "very sceptical" that a ban should be pursued. Both houses of parliament should also discuss the issue, Hubig said, noting that the constitution allowed either of them to launch proceedings before the constitutional court, as well as the government. Germany's constitutional court has in the past set a high bar for banning a party. Holding anti-constitutional views is considered insufficient to justify such a move. Instead, the party in question has to pursue these views aggressively, and achieving its anti-constitutional aims has to be at least theoretically possible. The AfD was placed second in the February elections on 20.8% of the vote behind the conservative bloc on 28.5% and ahead of the SPD in third place on 16.4%.
Axios
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Hubig's gets into the king cake game
The excitement that followed the announcement that Hubig's was getting into the king cake game was almost like Mardi Gras had started early this year. Why it matters: The cakes have been tough to find, but I finally tried a slice. Catch up quick: Hubig's tapped Maple Street patisserie co-founder Ziggy Cichowski to make the cakes, according to The Times-Picayune, and started shipping them to select stores at the start of the year. Once they were more widely available, they were still fairly tough to find because they were scooped up so quickly. Yes, but: Mardi Gras miracles do happen. During the Super Bowl, the Louisiana Economic Development team held a press event at its Louisiana NOW Pavilion — and King Cake Snob brought the goods. In a display with a half-dozen or so cakes, the Hubig's apple king cake was among them. Victory! Dig in: This is no oversize Hubig's hand pie. The cake was a blend of light brioche and Hubig's usual yummy apple filling, and I hope to get my hands on a full cake for my household next year. 💭 Thought bubble from Axios' Carlie Kollath Wells: In another fun Mardi Gras twist, I've had no problem finding Hubig's traditional at Dorignac's this week. I think it tastes like a king cake cousin to Manny Randazzo's version.
