Essen's municipal government ends rental contract for AfD's conference at the exhibition area.
Essen officials decided in late May that the AfD party needed to make a promise prior to their upcoming convention. This commitment required the AfD to state by June 4th that they would cease making criminal statements, like "Alles für Deutschland," or immediately stop any violations. Otherwise, the party would face a financial penalty of 500,000 euros for each infraction. If these assurances weren't made, the contract for the event hall would be canceled instantly.
AfD board member Roman Reusch deemed the actions taken by the fair and Essen city officials "illegal" on Tuesday night. He expressed that a legally binding agreement, in a country that follows the rule of law, cannot be unilaterally altered later on. Reusch explained the party would take necessary legal action if needed.
The threat of contract termination prompted the AfD to file a criminal complaint against Essen's mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU) and the head of the fair company on Friday, according to Reusch.
The AfD's federal party convention is scheduled for June 29th and 30th. The rental contract between the fair in Essen and the party had been in place since January 2023.
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- Despite the cancellation of their rental agreement at the Exhibition grounds in Essen due to the AfD's refusal to comply with the city's conditions, the AfD party conference is still scheduled to take place at a different location in Germany on June 29th and 30th.
- Roman Reusch, a board member of the AfD, strongly criticized the city's decision to terminate the rental agreement, claiming it to be illegal, and hinted at the party's intention to pursue legal action if necessary.
- In a move against Essen city officials and the fair company, the AfD filed a criminal complaint on Friday, following the threat of contract termination for their upcoming conference, according to Roman Reusch.
- The Exhibition grounds, a popular venue for events and exhibitions in Germany, had previously signed a rental agreement with the AfD party for their conference since January 2023, but this agreement was terminated due to the party's inability to comply with the city's conditions.
