Food - AfD party conference: loyalty oaths and jokes about deportations
Nine weeks before the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, the AfD presents itself relatively closed-off at its party conference in Essen. After the surprisingly quick election of the 14-member party executive board with the confirmation of CEOs Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla in office, delegates also addressed highly controversial topics on the second day of the meeting. Massive counter-demonstrations like at the start of the party conference no longer occur around the Grugahalle. It remains quiet in rainy Essen on Sunday.
Thuringian state chairman Bjoern Hoecke, who led the big words at previous federal party conferences, stays back this time. On Sunday afternoon, he steps up to the speaker's podium for the first time to propose a candidate for the Federal Constitutional Court. "A beautiful day in the Grugahalle," he says. Polite applause. The candidate proposed by him, who claims to work for the AfD parliamentary group, asks: "Is this still the rule of law we know from the Basic Law?". In the end, she falls short. A lawyer from Halle an der Saale, who in reference to the slogan "Saxony-Anhalt - Land of Early Riser" says she comes from Saxony-Anhalt, the "Land of Late Risers," receives not only laughter but is also elected to the Federal Constitutional Court.
Chrupalla overtakes Weidel
Looking back: The Saturday for AfD proportions runs unusually harmoniously. Chrupalla proposes his "beloved" co-chairwoman as a candidate. Weidel takes the ball and announces that she wants to go into planning for the federal election campaign with "my beloved Tino." Both are re-elected without opponents: Weidel with almost 80 percent, Chrupalla even overtakes her with almost 83 percent - the abstentions are not included. It remains to be seen how long the loyalty pact of the two will last. The party is to decide on a possible chancellor candidate in the coming early spring.
The remaining twelve executive positions are also quickly filled. Often only one candidate appears. In the end, five positions are filled anew. Weidel is now the only woman in the AfD leadership.
Weidel takes a hardline stance towards the traffic light coalition: "Dear government, finally step down and clear the way for new elections." Germany has become "a pony farm." The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution observes the AfD as a right-wing extremist suspect case - an assessment that the Higher Administrative Court in Munster confirmed in May. Weidel scolds: "The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has become an enemy of the constitution, and it should be abolished in this form." Applause for her statement that "the interests of Germany and Europe lie in the fact that Ukraine is not part of the European Union."
No "Meloni-fication" - in the east, "the sun should rise"
We don't want to be co-opted by Meloni", Chrupalla calls out in the hall, referring to the right Italian government leader Giorgia Meloni and her support for Ukraine. The co-leader shifts the focus to the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September, where the AfD is leading in polls: "In the East, the sun of government responsibility must rise for us." However, no party wants to work with her, making things complicated for governing. In his speech, Chrupalla highlights achievements and downplays member development. The AfD now has 46,881 members, 17,723 more than at the beginning of the year.
Criticism after botched European election campaign
The AfD suffered a setback in the European elections on June 9, and this is a topic at the party conference. They gained 15.9% compared to 2019, but fell short of their expectations. Reports on the Potsdam meeting of far-right radicals, new competition from the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance, and allegations against their lead candidate, Maximilian Krah, who had been making headlines for weeks due to suspected Russia and China connections, may have played a role. Searches related to bribery and money laundering were carried out against the second candidate on the AfD European election list, Petr Bystron.
Krah on the bench
Later, Krah supporters criticized the party leadership for not providing enough support for Krah. Krah was given a ban on appearances and was expelled from the AfD delegates after the election. Weidel, who is in Essen, uses a soccer metaphor: A trainer duo can be forced to make tactical substitutions. Even talented players can trip up. If someone has to go to the bench, they haven't been kicked out of the squad. Chrupalla looks back on the European elections and calls for more professionalism. "We could have gained 20 percentage points", he says, and demands: "We must examine our candidates more carefully in the future."
Massive protests and injuries
Throughout the weekend, there are sometimes massive protests against the AfD party conference in Essen. On Saturday, there are tens of thousands of people. There are peaceful demonstrations, but also blockades, disruptions, and violence. Thousands of police officers are on duty. Some AfD delegates are escorted to the Grugahalle. According to police reports, 28 officers were injured, one severely. The police used batons and tear gas, and demonstrators were also injured. On Sunday, it remains quiet. An estimated 150 people participate in a protest of the "Essen resists" alliance in sight of the Grugahalle in the morning.
- Despite the controversial topics discussed at the AfD party conference in Saxony, massive counter-demonstrations like in Essen's previous conferences are absent.
- The AfD in North Rhine-Westphalia is preparing for the European elections with Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla at the helm, following their re-election at the party conference in Halle on the Saale.
- At the party conference, Alice Weidel takes a firm stance against the traffic light coalition, calling for new elections and criticizing the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's observation of the AfD.
- The AfD in Thuringia, led by Björn Höcke, proposes a candidate for the Federal Constitutional Court, but they fail to gain the required majority.
- In Saxony-Anhalt, Björn Höcke steps up to propose a candidate for the Federal Constitutional Court, highlighting the AfD's growing membership and success in the state elections.
- Maximilian Krah, the AfD's lead candidate in the European elections, faces criticism and allegations of Russia and China connections, leading to his ban from appearances and expulsion from the party.
- At the party conference, Tino Chrupalla calls for more professionalism in candidacy selection after the AfD's disappointing performance in the European elections, attributed in part to Maximilian Krah's controversies.
- Alice Weidel, now the sole woman in the AfD leadership, stands by her hardline stance towards Ukraine, emphasizing that Germany and Europe's interests lie in Ukraine's non-entry into the European Union.
- Björn Höcke, in his speech at the party conference, focuses on the AfD's achievements and downplays membership development, positioning the party as a potential ruling force in the upcoming state elections in Saxony and Thuringia.
- Demonstrations in Germany continue against the AfD, with protests and violence in Essen during the party conference, leading to injuries among both demonstrators and police officers, but remain peaceful on Sunday before the state election.
