Court: AfD not allowed to hang more posters in Hessian municipality - German court blocks AfD's bid for extra campaign posters in Künzell
A district court in Fulda has blocked the local branch of the far-right AfD party from putting up extra campaign posters in Künzell. The ruling came after the town removed posters the party had displayed on lampposts. The AfD had argued that the current allocation of sites made fair campaigning impossible.
The dispute began when the AfD placed posters on lampposts across Künzell, only for town officials to take them down. The party was initially given 24 designated poster locations—matching the number allocated to other political groups. Unhappy with this limit, the AfD filed urgent applications to add more and stop the removals.
On March 5, 2026, the court rejected these requests. Judges ruled that the town could enforce restrictions based on traffic safety, street tidiness, and fair competition. The AfD responded by lodging an appeal with the Hessian Higher Administrative Court in Kassel.
The party insists that 24 sites are not enough for effective outreach. However, the court found no evidence that the allocation put the AfD at a disadvantage compared to rival groups.
The decision leaves the AfD with the same number of poster sites as other parties. The appeal process will now determine whether the party can challenge the ruling further. For now, the town's restrictions on additional posters remain in place.
