The Western Allied powers in West Berlin have issued an order barring the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) from taking part in the March 10, 1985 elections to the city’s Parliament. The NPD is banned in Berlin but has nevertheless a following estimated at several thousand people.
The Allied command order is meant to head off a possible NPD initiative to try to gain seats in the local Parliament. Elsewhere in West Germany the NPD is not barred from participation in election campaigns.
On the national level it failed to win the five percent of the popular vote necessary to qualify it for a representation in the Budestag. On the local level, however, it did manage to penetrate into some elected Assemblies.
West Berlin is a case apart because there is no West German sovereignty there and the ultimate powers lie with the Allied powers.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
