Before the party conference in Essen: AfD co-leader Chrupalla in favor of introducing a general secretary
Chrupalla announced that he would support the proposal for the introduction of a party secretary. "That belongs to the professionalization of a party in general," Chrupalla stated in ZDF. Co-leader Alice Weidel had already spoken in favor of this. Chrupalla emphasized, however, that at the party conference it would also be discussed whether a party secretary with two chairpersons could be possible. He also referred to the fact that the previous proposal on this topic "should still apply for the next few years."
Weidel and Chrupalla will present themselves to the 600 delegates, as well as the rest of the federal executive board, this weekend in Essen for re-election. The proposal from the Saxony-Anhalt state association now explicitly states that the party will be led by only one chairman and one party secretary from 2025 onwards. Weidel is considered a favorite for the position of chairman.
Furthermore, the future orientation of the party in the European Parliament should be discussed. The campaign with the controversial former executive committee member Maximilian Krah was overshadowed by scandals and affairs. In the wake of his exclusion from the ID faction in the European Parliament, it is still unclear with which partners the AfD will align themselves in Brussels.
The upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September and potential power options there should also be debated. Chrupalla stated in "Welt": "With strong results, we will force the CDU to talk to us after the elections." The CDU had, like all other parties, ruled out coalitions with the AfD. The AfD is currently leading in all three federal states according to polls.
The party conference was preceded by a months-long legal tug-of-war. The city of Essen unsuccessfully tried to prevent the assembly in the Grugahalle under security concerns. Essen's mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU) spoke on the radio on Friday about a "growing radicalization of the AfD."
For the weekend in Essen, several demonstrations have been announced. The first one was scheduled for Friday evening at the main station of the North Rhine-Westphalian city, another one for Saturday morning from there to the Grugahalle. The participation in the demonstration has been announced by the Left party chairwoman Janine Wissler. "A broad coalition from civil society, initiatives, unions, and parties calls on people to resist the AfD and to demonstrate," Wissler declared.
Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) expects 80,000 participants, as he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. "Among them are also violent agitators from the extreme left-wing scene. We are currently assuming several hundred of them," Reul stated. Plans include a blockade action on Saturday morning for the arrival of AfD delegates.
Both Reul and the Essen police are calling on peaceful demonstrators to distance themselves from violent actions. "Violent actions will be consistently suppressed by the police," the authority announced. The situation was calm until Friday afternoon.
- Tino Chrupalla, the AfD co-leader, advocated for the introduction of a party secretary during his appearance on ZDF's election campaign coverage.
- Co-leader Alice Weidel had previously expressed support for the proposed party secretary role in the AfD party conference.
- At the upcoming AfD party conference in Essen, the possibility of a party secretary working alongside two chairpersons will be discussed.
- Chrupalla mentioned that the previous proposal for a party secretary should still apply for the near future, which was before the party conference in Saxony.
- Weidel and Chrupalla are set to present themselves for re-election at the AfD party conference in Essen this weekend, alongside the rest of the federal executive board.
- The new proposal from the Saxony-Anhalt state association stipulates that the party will have only one chairman and one party secretary from 2025 onwards.
- Apart from the leadership shake-up, the AfD party conference will also focus on the party's future orientation in the European Parliament.
- The party's European election campaign, led by controversial former executive committee member Maximilian Krah, was marred by scandals and controversies.
- The upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September and potential power options there will also be part of the discussion at the AfD party conference.
- Chrupalla expressed optimism that strong results in these elections will force the CDU to consider partnering with the AfD, despite earlier ruling out coalitions with the party.
