The right-wing faction Identität und Demokratie (ID) in the European Parliament has excluded all AfD members following the outrage over Maximilian Krah’s SS statements. The AfD delegation in the European Parliament is no longer part of the ID group, with accusations that Krah has damaged the group’s reputation. The AfD intends to appeal the decision. The ID faction, comprised of Lega (Italy), Rassemblement National (France), Vlaams Belang (Belgium), and Freiheit und direkte Demokratie (Czech Republic), voted in favor of the exclusion. The Danish People’s Party did not participate in the vote and is counted as supporting the decision. According to the statute, an absolute majority of five delegations is required for the expulsion of members.
The Czech delegation did not clearly answer whether they supported the exclusion or not, but their response was considered as approval. The AfD delegation views this as an invalid vote and plans to challenge it. The motion for the expulsion of the AfD members cited a series of incidents involving Maximilian Krah and the German delegation, which damaged the cohesion and reputation of the faction. Krah, the AfD’s lead candidate, announced his withdrawal from the European election campaign and resignation from the AfD federal board. This decision was influenced by statements he made regarding SS soldiers not all being criminals.
The French RN delegation cited Krahs’s comments about the SS as unacceptable and harmful to the entire AfD. The Flemish Belang delegation formally agreed to support the expulsion after discussions with party leaders. The AfD leadership expressed their commitment to work towards a strong delegation in the European Parliament, emphasizing the importance of cooperation with like-minded parties. They remain confident in finding reliable partners in the new legislative period to continue their political work in Brussels.
The exclusion of the AfD delegation from the ID faction has highlighted internal conflicts within the European Parliament, particularly within right-wing groups. The decision to expel all AfD members stems from Krahs’s controversial statements regarding SS soldiers, which led to the loss of support from key partners like the French RN and Italian Lega parties. The AfD’s refusal to accept the decision and their intention to challenge it reflects the ongoing tension within the faction and the wider political landscape in Europe. The fallout from these events could have broader implications for the future of right-wing alliances in the European Parliament.
