Alternative for Germany: AfD - Conference held without addressing Krah's position as city governor.
The AfD European candidate Maximilian Krah has stirred up some trouble for his party, but bringing up this issue at the state association's party conference in Glauchau on Saturday was seen as inappropriate by state leader Jörg Urban. He advised the delegates that discussing the federal party's handling of the crisis was not suitable for the conference. Krah himself was absent.
At the conference, federal party leader Tino Chrupalla criticized the previous partners of the right-wing populists in the European Parliament. The right-wing ID group in the European Parliament had kicked out all nine AfD MPs on Thursday, following backlash from Krah's remarks on the SS, among other issues.
Chrupalla pointed out that the party had experienced many crises before and this was just a "small crisis". He also warned against any interference from the parties of Marine Le Pen and Giorgia Meloni. According to Chrupalla, Meloni, the current Prime Minister of Italy, stands for more migration and weapons in the war in Ukraine. He made it clear that "this Melonization will not happen with us" and that the AfD would not change to become more appealing to others. "German interests always come first."
Krah, who has faced substantial criticism due to a spy scandal involving an employee and connections to Russia and China, is no longer participating in the election campaign as a result of the disputes. Chrupalla thanked Krah for his decision to step down saying, "I would like to thank Maximilian Krah for this."
The state party conference on Friday evening proceeded as planned, with the state executive committee being re-elected. Urban, who is also the leading candidate for the state elections in September, was confirmed as chairman. With over 90% of the votes, his victory was uncontested.
Urban, a hydraulic engineering graduate, has led the state association, known by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a confirmed right-wing extremist outfit, since 2018. He managed to secure 88.4% of the votes in the last board election two years ago. He is also the chairman of the state parliamentary group.
His objective is to make the AfD the most powerful party in the state elections on September 1, he explained. “And we will ask for power.” He did not mention with whom the party planned to form a coalition. At present, no one has expressed a desire to work with them.
The party conference adopted the election manifesto on Saturday's second day. The AfD, unfortunately, has decided not to publish the full text yet. The spokesman for the party did not provide a specific date for its presentation.
However, certain aspects of the program were disclosed. The AfD aims to take on government responsibilities in Saxony to initiate a policy change. They have pledged a state support payment of up to 400 euros per month and stricter sanctions against recipients of social assistance.
When building new wind farms and large solar power plants, storage systems must be instituted that ensure power for at least seven days, even in the absence of wind. The program also proposes abolishing the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in its current form and reorganizing it.
The demands from the AfD youth organization for a ban on Antifa and the establishment of an "Agency for Remigration" failed to garner a majority. This organization would have been responsible for sending back "illegal migrants" to their countries of origin.
Read also:
- Does the SVolt factory in Saarland face stability issues?
- Furor surrounding Sylt scandal footage
- Düsseldorf's stolen memories at the penalty spot
- Foxes head to European League Finals alongside Flensburg
Source: www.stern.de