Far-right political figures outline potential alliance with heritage-focused party, "Die Heimat," successor to NPD.
In the recent regional elections across Brandenburg, the far-right extremist party AfD has taken a leading position in numerous districts. Now, it appears that some AfD officials are forging alliances with the radical right-wing group "Die Heimat" in select Brandenburg municipal assemblies and county councils.
Three AfD representatives are looking to establish joint factions with "Die Heimat" in Brandenburg municipal assemblies, potentially facing expulsion from the AfD. In the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, southern Brandenburg bordering Saxony, it's reported that such a collaboration has been announced, as confirmed by a spokesperson.
Similarly, in the city of Lauchhammer, within the same district, a similar allegiance with "Die Heimat"'s successor party is rumored. The Brandenburg AfD chairman, René Springer, has purposed to oust the three implicated party members. "Die Heimat" is on the AfD's list of organizations with which they refuse cooperation.
In the Oberspreewald-Lausitz county council, the AfD recently garnered 16 of the 50 seats. Two of these 16 county council members, AfD local representatives Bernd Dietrich and Peter Gröbe, aim to form a new faction "Heimat und Zukunft" with the representative of "Die Heimat", Thomas Gürtler. According to the district spokesperson, this is indeed happening, with Gürtler set to assume leadership. The new county council will meet for the first time on July 4. The Brandenburg AfD is deemed a right-wing extremist threat by the Constitutional Protection Agency, as reported by "Spiegel".
A similar situation unfolds in the Lauchhammer city council, with Gürtler forming a new faction labeled "AfDplus" alongside the three same AfD members and another councilor. In Lauchhammer, the AfD and "Die Heimat" each secured six and one seats, respectively. Previously, "Die Heimat" had issued a statement addressing this alliance.
Springer, the AfD chairman, declared: "Due to deliberate violations of membership responsibilities and severe breaches of party principles, I intend to initiate an expulsion process against the three members." Legal action will also be taken against the "AfDplus" name. The party has been taken aback by these developments, as Springer had assumed such actions would be unimaginable. The elected officials, he said, acted not from political convictions but from pressure to perform with their newly acquired mandates.
Until June of the previous year, "Die Heimat" was still recognized as the NPD. The Brandenburg state branch of the AfD is also considered a right-wing extremist risk by the Constitutional Protection Agency, primarily serving to connect within the right-wing extremist community.
