Germany's far-right AfD reelects leadership duo

Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel were given fresh terms ahead of September elections in three eastern German states. The populist party's congress in Essen was met with sometimes violent protests.

Weidel (left) and Chrupalla were unopposed in Saturday's vote by party members

Members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) reelected Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel to another two-year term as joint party leaders on Saturday.

Chrupalla said he was "a bit overwhelmed" after receiving 82.72% support from members at the party conference in the western city of Essen. Weidel received 79.77% of the vote.

Both leaders saw an increase in support compared with the party's last congress two years ago. The pair were unopposed in the vote by around 600 delegates gathered at an indoor arena.

In her opening speech to the conference ahead of the vote, Weidel attacked the governing coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"Dear government, finally get out of here and clear the way for new elections," she said, before adding that firewalls against the AfD were not necessary.

Weidel was referring to the refusal by Germany's mainstream parties to work with the far-right party.

Chrupalla, meanwhile, said the AfD was "stronger than ever" after the two leaders had "brought peace" to the once-divided party.

Reporting from inside the AfD congress, Michaela Küfner, DW's chief political correspondent, said:

"What the AfD is doing is focusing on what it knows best — which is its anti-migration stance. It has just proven that [it is a force to be reckoned with] in the European elections. And despite reports that there could be infighting here, the current heads of the party Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla just got reelected. So clearly, the AfD is set to capitalize on the issue it knows best."

Tens of thousands of people took part in a protest against the far-right party

Protesters and police clash outside AfD congress

Earlier Saturday, police used pepper spray and batons to stop a large group of protesters breaking through a cordon, near where the congress was being held.

It was not clear if demonstrators were injured in the incident, which occurred at around 5:45 am (0345 GMT), but police said they made several arrests and some officers were attacked.

At one stage, a few hundred protesters blocked the exit ramp of a motorway and others occupied streets and intersections near the site where the congress is being held.

"At one stage, AfD politicians and members needed police protection to get to the venue," DW political correspondent Alex Gerst said, adding that the protest had calmed down by mid-afternoon.

"Yes, there were clashes but fewer than expected. Mostly, it was a peaceful protest by members of church congregations, the Fridays for Future [climate movement] and Grandmothers Against the Far Right (Omas gegen Rechts). They all came together to send the message that the city of Essen does not welcome the AfD party congress."

High security presence

Several thousand police officers were deployed as part of security measures to prevent civil disorder.

In all, some 100,000 protesters were expected to take part in the demos against the anti-immigration, archconservative AfD, which has been gaining support, particularly in the country's former communist east.

Although organizers said the protests would be peaceful, police feared violence from some 1,000 leftist extremists who also planned to demonstrate.

Authorities appealed to demonstrators to "keep away from violent actions and troublemakers."

There is a high police presence at the demonstrations

Some 5,000 protesters already took part in a rally with music on Friday evening that had the motto "Bass gegen Hass" (Eng.: "Bass against hate").

Essen authorities had tried for months to prevent the AfD from holding the two-day party conference there but ultimately failed in court.

Spy agency monitoring AfD activities

The AfD is being monitored by the German domestic intelligence agency (BfV) as a suspected right-wing extremist organization. The agency has warned that the party poses a racist, antisemitic and anti-democratic threat to Germany.

Despite such warnings and a series of scandals, the party came second in Germany in the European Parliament elections on June 9 and even took first place in the five former communist eastern states.

It is also expected to become the strongest party in September elections in three of those eastern states — Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg — amid fears that other parties will not be able to form a governing coalition to outnumber it.

The AfD's leaders are also looking to seize on the party's rising popularity as Germany prepares for federal elections in the fall of 2025.

mm, tj/kb (AFP, dpa)

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