German states want to cut public funding for far-right party
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Germany's 16 states want to cut public funding for a far-right party, saying it works to undermine the country's constitution.
The states, represented in Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, voted unanimously Friday to submit a petition to the Federal Constitutional Court.
The court last year rejected a request by states to ban the far-right National Democratic Party. Judges concluded that while the party's aims were unconstitutional, its limited political successes mean it poses little threat.
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German political parties receive public funding based on the number of votes they receive in regional, national and European elections.
The NPD says it received about 1.2 million euros ($1.5 million) annually in recent years.
The party lost a significant portion of its voters to the nationalist Alternative for Germany in recent elections.