AfD doubles down on extremist ambitions after leadership vote
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The far-right Alternative for Germany entrenched its hardline leadership and expanded its extremist federal board, as co-leader Alice Weidel boasted of poll numbers and vowed to seize power.
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) concluded its national convention in Erfurt by brazenly reaffirming its intent to form a government, a move that alarms democrats and anti-fascists across the country. Co-leader Alice Weidel, re-elected with 81.3% of the delegate vote, cited opinion polls that place the party at the top nationally, declaring the AfD ready to take power—despite its open embrace of xenophobic and anti-democratic rhetoric.
The new 14-member federal board is now stacked with six members from state branches that domestic intelligence agencies have classified as right-wing extremist. Among the new faces are Jean-Pascal Hohm, leader of the party's youth group 'Generation Deutschland,' and Stefan Möller, a close ally of notorious extremist Björn Höcke. These appointments signal a further radicalization of the party and a willingness to challenge Germany's democratic institutions and security authorities.
Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and its state counterparts continue to monitor the AfD, classifying it as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization in five states and as a suspected extremist group at the national level. Authorities point to a pattern of racist and exclusionary statements by party members, particularly targeting migrants, Muslims, and Black people, which undermine the principle of equality enshrined in the German constitution.
Weidel's speech, devoid of substantive policy proposals, instead launched broad attacks on the government's handling of the euro, refugees, climate policy, and support for Ukraine. She ended with a nationalist rallying cry, urging supporters to “drape the entire country in black, red and gold,” echoing the dangerous rhetoric of Germany's darkest chapters.
The convention was met with massive, peaceful protests organized by trade unions, churches, political parties, and civil society groups. At one rally, Jens-Christian Wagner, director of the Buchenwald Memorial, addressed the AfD directly, urging the party to “remigrate yourselves into the history books,” a powerful reminder of the need to resist the normalization of far-right extremism.
“We are the strongest force. We are a people's party with 30% support. And we will govern,” Weidel proclaimed, underscoring the urgent threat the AfD poses to German democracy.
The AfD now seeks to exploit upcoming state elections in 2026, aiming for its first state premier in Saxony-Anhalt or Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania—a chilling prospect for all those committed to justice and equality.