Political parties are foundational to liberal democracy, serving as intermediaries between public opinion and governance. All European Union (EU) Member States uphold the freedom of association, enabling citizens (and sometimes even EU mobile citizens) to engage politically through political parties. Many Member States enshrine fair political party competition as a cornerstone of democracy. However, history, such as Hitler's rise in Weimar Germany, illustrates how extremists can exploit political parties to abuse power and subvert democracies. To address the concerns of democracies being undermined through democratic processes, scholars have suggested measures that would allow democracies to defend themselves. Among the most significant, and also the most controversial, is the possibility of banning a political party. Such an extreme decision aims to strike a balance between protecting party pluralism and democracy. The precise moment at which democracy should intervene to protect itself has long been a subject of debate and contention. Nowadays, all EU Member States, at least theoretically, consider that banning a political party is a last resort measure against extremism, recognising its potential to safeguard liberal democracy. Notably, these bans can also affect EU democracy by influencing national electoral laws, which in turn affect European Parliament elections. National regulations on political parties can therefore have broader implications for EU-wide politics, highlighting the interconnectedness between Member States' legal orders and the EU's democratic framework. This briefing examines the theoretical and legal foundations of party bans, their implementation in EU Member States, and international recommendations concerning this measure. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP Read more