AfD regional affiliates seek a single leader.
About a dozen regional branches of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are seeking to change the party's leadership structure, wanting it to be headed by a single chairman and a general secretary, as reported by ntv.
These state chairs have submitted a proposal for the June federal party congress in Essen calling for the party to be run by a general secretary in place of its two co-chairs. The document obtained by ntv states, "The federal party congress elects the general secretary on the recommendation of the party chairman. If there are two party chairmen, the election of a general secretary is not possible."
Supporters of this idea include the network of Brandenburg state leader René Springer, Bundestag deputy group leader Sebastian Münzenmaier, and former federal leader of the Young Alternative, Damian Lohr. Thuringian AfD state leader Björn Höcke is also on board.
Under this new structure, the general secretary would be responsible for coordinating party work, leading the federal headquarters, and overseeing the preparation and implementation of federal and European elections. Instruction from the general secretary would also have to be followed by regional branches in election campaigns.
A two-thirds majority is required for this constitutional amendment to pass at the party congress. The change would take effect on January 1, 2025, and doesn't interfere with the planned reelection of the Federal Executive Board. However, if the party does adopt this change, either Alice Weidel or Tino Chrupalla would have to step down as their positions would no longer be needed.
The implication of having just one party leader could potentially lead to a dispute, with the current leaders likely objecting. Alternatively, someone else could be elected.
This proposal has the potential to rekindle the ongoing debate over the party's leadership structure. The AfD had earlier in 2022 narrowly decided against a single leadership at its Riesa congress, but this new push towards a single leader indicates it's moving in that direction.
The grouping surrounding Münzenmaier, Springer, and Lohr - which includes future European delegation leader René Aust - has gained significant influence within the party over the past two years. In fact, the EU candidate list was largely based on agreements between this group and the Höcke faction.
In other news, it's uncertain whether the federal party congress will actually happen. The Essen city council issued a demand to the AfD not to use any Nazi slogans during the congress. When the deadline passed without action, the contract for the exhibition hall was canceled. The AfD is now suing, claiming that a legally valid contract cannot be changed unilaterally.
