Björn Höcke, a senior representative of the national conservative Alternative for Germany, was fined earlier this week for using the criminalized slogan “Everything for Germany!”.
In Germany, most things that can be associated in any way with Adolf Hitler, National Socialism and the German political regime of 1933-1945 are strictly forbidden – including this slogan. The phrase “All for Germany!” was used by the National Socialist SA stormtroopers, among others, which is why this and similar phrases are not allowed to be uttered.
Höcke is the state leader of the AfD in Thuringia, and for his statement during a campaign speech in the city of Merseburg, he is now being fined €13,000. His lawyers have consistently said that the politician did not know that the phrase was banned, nor did he know its origin.
It should be noted that Mr. Höcke got off relatively “lightly”, as he was risking a three-year prison sentence and being barred from all public office.
The AfD figure has already been officially classified as a “right-wing extremist” by Germany’s domestic intelligence service – which, among other things, gives the authorities wide-ranging powers to monitor and map his activities.