@enigmatico To give you gist. Our constitution obvs has stuff in place to get such parties outright banned.
And yes certain stuff that is associated with fascists is forbidden. But being (even extremely) right is not. Within reason obvs. Courts already have found stuff the AfD wants to be illegal. But there is a difference between just wanting illegal stuff and actually being able to do it.
The current political landscape is complicated in that question. We had such a court on banning a party once. Famous NPD, today known as "Der Dritte Weg". Court ruled them to want illegal things generally but did not outright ban them. On the reasoning that they are to small to reach any of their goals anyway.
So the politians are now chickening on the question of whether they should or should not even petition the courts to even check if AfD shall be deamed illegal. They are to frigthened to loose and " legitimize" the AfD.
A valid concern when our Verfassungsschutz can't even get the evidence to together to give the afD the moneker of (basically) far-righters that are againt the constitution and hold that ib court.
The next problem is who can petition for such a check. Either Bundesregierung (the executive with Friedrich Merz at the helm), the Bundestag (lawmaker and legislative) and Bundesrat (2nd Chamber of legislative that has members of each state of germany) can initiate such a petition to the court.
Merz will never do it. Bundestag has no majority to do it that would get such a petition going and Bundesrat could do it generally soon-ish. But there are still some questions because of elections.
Sorry if its not the easiest to ubderstand post. Its hard getting this accross in english
As for why the AfD is so "popular" its populism. They often fail to even be considered where stuff matters. though in Saxony-Anhalt.... These Nazis are at 38% which might give them a majority in seats in election this yeat