AfD party conference confirms Weidel and Chrupalla - massive protests in Essen
Chrupalla and Weidel evaluated the results as evidence of an intra-party consolidation. The previously discordant party "calmed down" with the dual leadership chosen two years ago, said Chrupalla. Consensus is a prerequisite for success in the upcoming elections. Weidel stated that the AfD had "professionalized."
At the party conference in Riesa, Saxony, in 2022, Chrupalla was elected chairman with 53% of the votes, Weidel with 67%. In Essen, Chrupalla was "overwhelmed" by his good performance - before the conference, there were rumors that the delegates could reject him in the re-election. Weidel considered the result for her co-chairman as an "expression of a solidarity effect": "A campaign was run against him – now he is strengthened."
Weidel also attributed her own result to "touching on some uncomfortable topics," such as her criticism of the party's weak communication. Weidel and Chrupalla agreed that the result in Essen was not a decision on a chancellor candidacy for the federal election.
Both chairmen acknowledged deficiencies in the organization and appearance of the AfD. Chrupalla stated that the party should focus more on the quality of its election candidates. Regarding the European campaign with the scandal-plagued top candidate Maximilian Krah, he said: "Through careless and unprofessional behavior, some have unnecessarily provided attack surfaces."
Weidel identified deficiencies in the party's communication with the outside world: "We explain too little," she said. The AfD should not be perceived as "Nazis" in public. Chrupalla emphasized that the AfD is open to the participation of people with a migration background.
Unlike at previous AfD party conferences, confrontations remained absent on the open stage during the first day of the delegate meeting in Essen. Regarding the party leadership report, there were no statements from the delegates. There were no debates on the poorly run European campaign or the personality Krah - possibly due to the self-criticism of the chairmen.
The leading duo presented themselves in a notably harmonious manner: Chrupalla titled his colleague as "my beloved (...) spokeswoman Alice," Weidel spoke of "my beloved Tino Chrupalla." In their offices as deputy party chairs, Stephan Brandner (nearly 91%) and Peter Boehringer (85.3%) were confirmed. Newly appointed was Kay Gottschalk, who won the competitive candidacy with 62%.
Chrupalla formulated a claim to government responsibility for his party. In the upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, the "sun of government responsibility should rise for the AfD," he said. "We want to govern - first in the East, then in the West, then in the Bund."
Weidel identified one of the central tasks of her new term of office as "tearing down these annoying walls," with which other parties distinguish themselves from the AfD. She conceded, however, that a government participation in the Bund after the 2025 election was "fairly unlikely."
Accompanied by a loud demonstration with several tens of thousands of people, the AfD party convention was held at the Grugahalle. According to the organizers, 50,000 people attended the demonstration in the afternoon. This large demonstration remained peaceful, according to police reports initially. The authorities did not provide numbers of participants at first.
However, clashes had occurred in the morning, as demonstrators tried to prevent AfD delegates from entering the Grugahalle. People had attacked law enforcement officers and attempted to break through barriers, the police reported. The police used pepper spray and batons among other things. Eleven officers were reportedly injured, several demonstrators were arrested.
Party chairwoman Weidel criticized the protest actions as undemocratic. "We have a right - like all other political parties - to hold a regular party convention," she said.
- The dual leadership of Chrupalla and Weidel, chosen two years ago, has contributed to the 'AfD' party's internal calm, according to Chrupalla.
- In the 2022 'AfD' party conference in Riesa, Saxony, Chrupalla and Weidel each secured over 50% of the votes, solidifying their roles as party leaders.
- The 'AfD' party's performance in the European election campaign was scrutinized, with concerns raised about the involvement of Maximilian Krah, who was embroiled in scandals.
- Tino Chrupalla attributed his strong performance in Essen to a solidarity effect, despite rumors of potential rejection by delegates.
- Alice Weidel acknowledged her success in Essen was due in part to addressing uncomfortable topics, such as the party's communication issues.
- The 'AfD' party acknowledged the need for improvement in various areas, including the quality of election candidates and communication with the outside world.
- Despite facing protests and a demonstration with tens of thousands of participants, the AfD party convention continued peacefully, with chairwoman Weidel condemning the protest actions as undemocratic.
