Ban for extremists

Sellner is no longer allowed to travel to Germany

Right-wing extremist Martin Sellner(Bild: AFP/Alex Halada)

The Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner is no longer allowed to travel to Germany. The city of Potsdam imposed a nationwide entry ban on him on Tuesday. "We have to show that the state is not powerless and uses its legitimate means," said Potsdam's mayor Mike Schubert (SPD).

"We are making it clear that democracy is resilient." Sellner himself made the incident public on Platform X on Tuesday and presented a letter from the city of Potsdam. A spokeswoman for the city merely confirmed that a notice had been sent to an EU citizen last week to determine the "loss of the right to freedom of movement in the Federal Republic of Germany". "The person concerned" had been heard beforehand.

Here you can see a tweet from Sellner.

Sellner is not allowed to stay in Germany or enter the country. According to the spokesperson, the ban applies "in principle immediately." If he does not comply with the entry ban, the right-wing extremist faces deportation to Austria and criminal prosecution.

Makes books responsible
According to the Austrian, the provision applies for three years. On Platform X, he assumes that his books and ideas on "remigration and patriotic activism" led to the entry ban. According to the authorities, they pose a threat to the state. However, he has never been convicted of a crime. The right-wing extremist now wants to take legal action against the ban, but will abide by it for the time being. He is currently in Austria and upcoming appearances in Germany have been canceled.

Sellner is a leading figure in the far-right Identitarian movement in German-speaking countries. According to research by the Correctiv network, he was a speaker at the Potsdam secret meeting of AfD members and right-wing extremists in November 2023, where the mass expulsion of people with a migration background from Germany is said to have been discussed.

Right-wing extremist Martin Sellner(Bild: AFP/Alex Halada)

Temporary arrest in Switzerland
Most recently, the Swiss police temporarily arrested Sellner at a planned meeting of right-wing extremists. He had been due to give a speech at an event on Saturday in the village of Tegerfelden near the border with Germany. The police cited public safety and "the prevention of confrontations with people from the opposite side." The Austrian was expelled from the canton.