German election turns into farce after AfD candidate banned from running, only 29% of voters participate in Ludwigshafen

"A democracy thrives on the freedom of choice — but that wasn't even granted to the citizens". Germany’s left have long claimed that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a threat to democracy, and due to this claim, they argue the party should be banned entirely. Although banning parties is typically reserved for authoritarian regimes, this outcome remains a very real possibility in Germany, and a local election in the city of Ludwigshafen just showed what such an outcome could look like in practice. Incredibly, the main candidate for the AfD, Joachim Paul, was banned from running in the mayoral...