Germany’s far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has seen nine of its Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) expelled from the Identity and Democracy (ID) group just a fortnight prior to EU elections. The expulsion is a consequence of a controversy stirred by the German party’s lead candidate.
Maximilian Krah, the implicated AfD MEP, allegedly claimed not all members of the Nazi SS group were criminals in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica. Such statements reportedly led the leaders of AfD to instruct Mr Krah to stay out of the public eye till the day of the elections, amidst reports of him accepting Russian finances and accusations of his connection with a supposed Chinese secret agent in his Brussels office.
With AfD’s popularity plummeting seven percentage points to 15%, fellow far-right party Rassemblement National of France, a key member of ID, took proactive steps to avoid any repercussions. Marine Le Pen, its leader, declared earlier this week that the party was severing ties with AfD.
On Thursday, support for a total boycott of AfD was endorsed by a majority of other ID members, including Italy’s League, the Flemish Vlaams Belang, the Danish People’s Party and Czech party Freedom. The Austrian Freedom party and the Estonian People’s Party however, expressed opposition to the move.
As per an ID statement, Mr Krah’s mishaps and his association had impinged upon the group’s solidarity and prestige. AfD’s Berlin-based leaders remain hopeful, despite the expulsion decision, and hinted at the possibility of welcoming back Mr Krah post-elections.
In the wake of these incidents, Mr Krah decided to suspend his election campaign and withdraw from the AfD leadership board. He has not attended any campaign rallies, yet still holds the position of their lead candidate in the EU elections.
For several months, Ms Le Pen has been striving to take her party to the mainstream, consciously disconnecting herself from the extreme elements within the AfD. Earlier in January, she expressed absolute dissent against the alleged position of AfD politicians who were reported to have suggested drastic deportation strategies for German citizens deemed “unassimilated”.