Expelled AfD member of parliament Blex reinstated
Christian Blex, who was expelled from the North Rhine-Westphalian AfD parliamentary group following a controversial trip to Russia, has been reinstated. "This was preceded by intensive talks with him, in which he credibly expressed his regret and was able to dispel the reasons that led to his expulsion," explained parliamentary group leader Martin Vincentz in Düsseldorf on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the parliamentary group told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the 47-year-old had withdrawn proceedings before the Constitutional Court in Münster, which Blex had initiated due to a violation of his rights. The former senior teacher most recently sat in the Düsseldorf state parliament as a non-attached member; the number of AfD members of the state parliament is now back up to twelve.
Blex traveled to Russia in September 2022 with two AfD members of the state parliament from Saxony-Anhalt and two AfD members from North Rhine-Westphalia. Following harsh criticism, the AfD politicians cut short their trip and abandoned their originally planned visit to the Russian-occupied Donbass in eastern Ukraine. Even before his return, the AfD parliamentary group had excluded Blex on September 27, 2022.
"I am pleased that my efforts and my sincere regrets have been recognized and that I am allowed to be part of the parliamentary group again," Blex announced on Tuesday. "In the past, I have made the odd political mistake, which is why I will only undertake political trips abroad with the approval of the parliamentary group." Vincentz spoke of a "good basis for a new start".
The reinstatement of Christian Blex to the North Rhine-Westphalian AfD parliamentary group has led to a increase in the number of AfD members in the Düsseldorf state parliament. Despite being expelled due to his trip to Russia, several political parties, including the AfD, have the power to make decisions within their respective parliaments.
Source: www.dpa.com
