German states want to cut public funding for far-right party

BERLIN – 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.

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.