"Series of incidents"

EU Parliament: Right-wing group wants to expel AfD

Maximilian Krah, member of the European Parliament for the German AfD, was banned from appearing by his own party.

(Bild: AFP/afp)

The leader of the right-wing ID group in the European Parliament has requested the expulsion of all AfD MEPs. This emerges from a document sent on Thursday to top representatives of all ID member parties represented in Parliament. The reason for this is the negative headlines of recent weeks.

The text of the motion states that in view of "the series of incidents in which Mr. Maximilian Krah and thus also the German delegation of the group were involved and in view of the fact that these incidents have damaged the cohesion and reputation of the group", it should be decided to terminate the membership of the members of the German delegation with immediate effect.

Italian Lega already approved the motion
The names of all nine AfD MEPs are listed. The motion will now be voted on in a written procedure, which is scheduled to run until 3 p.m. this afternoon. According to information from the German Press Agency, the Italian Lega, among others, has already agreed. According to the ID rules, silence is also considered consent.

(Bild: AFP/JENS SCHLUETER)

(Bild: AP/The Associated Press)

AfD delegation leader lodges an objection
According to dpa, the German AfD delegation leader Christine Anderson has lodged an objection to the written procedure and demanded to be heard. Supported by six other AfD delegates in the ID parliamentary group, she demanded that only Maximilian Krah be excluded and at the same time submitted a corresponding motion. Only Joachim Kuhs did not support the motion.

Controversial SS statements
The background to ID parliamentary group leader Zanni's motion is the numerous negative headlines about the AfD in recent weeks. For example, the party leadership banned its own top candidate Krah from appearing on Wednesday. The specific reason for this was Krah's controversial comments about the SS. In addition, the 47-year-old Saxon is under pressure due to the espionage affair surrounding an employee and because of his closeness to Russia and China. The number two on the AfD's European list, Petr Bystron, will also no longer be campaigning for the time being following investigations into corruption.

Maximilian Krah

(Bild: AFP)

FPÖ also belongs to ID Group
In addition to the Italian Lega, the ID Group in the European Parliament also includes Marine Le Pen's French RN party and the FPÖ. The Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) led by Geert Wilders is also an ID member. However, it has no members in parliament.

The exclusion of AfD MEPs would be primarily symbolic, as Parliament will not meet again until after the European elections in two weeks' time. The political groups may then also be reassembled.

Le Pen: "Red lines crossed"
Marine Le Pen's French Rassemblement National has already terminated its cooperation with the AfD. RN party leader Jordan Bardella said on TF1: "I think that the AfD, with whom we have worked together in the European Parliament for five years, has crossed lines that are red lines for me." After the election, we will have new allies and will no longer sit alongside the AfD.

Marine Le Pen

(Bild: APA/AFP/STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN)

AfD bans Krah from appearances
A good two weeks before the EU elections, the AfD itself has also broken with Maximilian Krah. A party spokesperson announced on Wednesday that the federal executive had banned Krah from appearing. Krah himself declared on Platform X that he would refrain from making any further campaign appearances and would resign as a member of the federal executive committee. The background to this are Krah's controversial statements on the SS and a dispute that arose with the French Rassemblement National.