German gov't to seek public funding cut for far-right party

BERLIN – The German government says it wants to cut off public funding for a far-right party that authorities tried unsuccessfully to ban.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert says the Cabinet decided Wednesday to petition the Federal Constitutional Court to exclude the National Democratic Party from a system that grants political parties funds based on their performance in elections.

Last year Germany's highest court ruled that the party, known by its acronym NPD, was too politically insignificant to justify a ban but said its goals run counter to the German constitution. Parliament subsequently voted to change its rules on party funding.

The NPD received just 0.1 percent of the vote in last year's national election as far-right voters backed the nationalist, anti-migration Alternative for Germany instead.