Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that the extreme right-wing NPD should have its state subsidies withdrawn and its tax relief canceled for six years.
The case is to an extent symbolic, as the Nationalist Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), now known as “Die Heimat” (The Homeland), has not been receiving subsidies in recent times after failing to obtain enough votes in elections. However, it still benefits from tax relief measures.
The court’s ruling could well play a role in current deliberations over whether similar measures could be taken against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Why were they even subsidized
Because parties which gain a certain percentage of the vote (I think 0.5 - 1%, depending on the state) receive money to reduce their dependency on private sponsors.