A number of Germany's conservative lawmakers have called for a cautious approach after the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the junior coalition partner, on Sunday passed a motion calling for preparations to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The debate on whether to ban the AfD, which forms the strongest opposition force in parliament, has gained momentum after it was reclassified by Germany's domestic intelligence agency in May as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" group — an assessment that is now under court review after a legal challenge by the party.

What did the SPD say?

The SPD motion, put forward at the close of the party's three-day congress in Berlin, calls on the relevant constitutional bodies to lay the groundwork for filing a case to declare the anti-immigrant AfD unconstitutional.

"The moment at which domestic intelligence says this is a confirmed right-wing extremist party, there is no more room for tactics," party co-leader Lars Klingbeil, who also serves as finance minister and vice chancellor in the conservative-led government, said at the congress.

The text of the motion reads: "Now is the time for the constitutional bodies entitled to do so to create the conditions for immediately filing a motion to determine the unconstitutionality of the AfD." 

What have conservatives said?

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which leads the coalition, on Sunday threw cold water on the motion. 

Speaking to the "Table.Today" podcast, Dobrindt said, "Decisions made at the SPD party conference are not yet a mandate for the interior minister."

Dobrindt instead called for a cautious approach and for allowing the legal process to play out.

He said a working group of interior ministers from the German states will address the AfD issue if the "right-wing extremist" designation is upheld in court.

The working group is awaiting a ruling from the Cologne Administrative Court on whether it agrees with the "extremist" designation.

Dobrindt, as well as Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), have previously said they are skeptical of banning the AfD, which is known for its nationalist, anti-immigration, anti-Muslim and eurosceptic policies.

Chancellery head Thorsten Frei, from Merz's CDU, also said that he felt that a ban could not be justified, conceding that "there are many good reasons for one."

He told broadcaster ARD that a ban should not be pursued unless there is absolute certainty on the matter.

"That is why I urge caution. The AfD must be fought with political means," he said.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru