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New political elections at the AFD: Weidel helps the Gauland bonus

2019-09-19T04:46:38.995Z


The AFD faction in the Bundestag is re-electing its top. Alexander Gauland arrives again with Alice Weidel - so their choice is certain. For others in the faction leadership, however, it should be tight.



When Alice Weidel spoke to the budget in the Bundestag recently, her speech was above all one thing: an attack on Angela Merkel. The AFD's Co-Chair said that it was "purporting to protect the climate", calling for "effective security and control of borders," calling the Chancellor's rescue plan for refugees in the Mediterranean "state water taxi service."

The applause in their own ranks was sure Weidel. Verbal round envelopes against Merkel are well received in the 91-member AfD group. Weidel's appearance this time also seemed like a sign to the inside, in front of an important vote for them.

On September 24, the AFD faction leadership will be elected - as scheduled - for the second time since its entry into the Bundestag two years ago. Weidel's re-election is considered safe. Not on his own, but because Alexander Gauland wants to compete again with her as a duo to the election. This leaves the AfD deputies little other option than to speak out again for the management status.

Alone, as can be heard from time to time internally, Weidel's choice would not be safe. Not only because of their liberal economic views, but also because of their sometimes harsh style, they have in the group is not easy Stand. In addition, the party donation scandal from their district on Lake Constance, where the Swiss investigation continues.

Weidel appears at Götz Kubitschek

Strategically, Weidel has tried to adjust to the new situation in the AfD recently. In the recent state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg, two representatives of the party's right-wing network "Flügel" - Jörg Urban and Andreas Kalbitz - achieved great successes. Coming soon, Björn Höcke, the most famous face of the "wing", is likely to make another success in the state elections in Thüringen on 27 October - the AfD sees recent polls at 25 percent there.

Even before the state elections Weidel had sought contact with an important source of ideas of the "wing" - to Götz Kubitschek. He is not AfD party member, but a close confidant of the Thuringian AFD country and faction leader Höcke.

CLEMENS BILAN / EPA-EFE / REX

Weidel in July in the Bundestag: No easy stand in their own faction

This week, on September 20, Weidel is now in Schnellroda, where Kubitschek's country estate is. Weidel will be there to work in the group refer. Weidel's confidants in the AFD describe the appearance at Kubitschek as normal for a co-faction leader, who must have all the currents of the AfD in view.

Surprisingly, this turn because of the associated signal effect nonetheless: In the spring of 2017 Weidel belonged together with the then party leader Frauke Petry to those forces in the AfD, which tried to enforce an exclusion in the AfD Federal Executive against Höcke - unsuccessful.

The occasion was Höckes Dresdner speech, in which he called the Holocaust memorial in Berlin "monument of shame" and had demanded a "remembrance policy change by 180 degrees". Höcke remained in the AFD, also because Gauland protected him. The influence of the "wing" grew. Kubitschek said in the summer of this year the SPIEGEL, Weidel knew long ago, "that the party Björn Höcke and his network can not shake off without being damaged."

Already in May Gauland had signaled to want to start again together with Weidel as a group leadership - at that time were early board elections in the parliamentary group for debate, strained among others by the two "wing" followers Stephan Brandner and Jürgen Pohl, both from Höckes Thuringia AfD National Association. But her request was smashed in a parliamentary group break before the parliamentary summer break.

REUTERS

Weidel on September 11 in the Bundestag: attacks against Merkel

Changes at the top of the fraction?

Now it's time to vote on Tuesday. After two years in the Bundestag, there should be new faces in the party leadership:

  • Relatively safe is the re-election of the first Parliamentary Managing Director Bernd Baumann. He has Gaulands trust. It will be more difficult for the Second Parliamentary Managing Director Jürgen Braun. He once did well with Weidel, but for some time now the relationship has been burdened.
  • Brandner, legal adviser of the group, apparently wants to continue to rise - possibly as a co-opted member of the Board, as it is called internally. As early as 2017, he had ambitions for the post of vice-fraction leader; he had previously failed in the election of parliamentary directors against Michael Espendiller. Espendiller, on the other hand, does not want to start again for this post, it was said.

For the vice-faction chiefs, it is likely to be tight for some incumbents. The whereabouts of Berlin-based Beatrix von Storch are considered endangered. The Berlin AfD member of parliament Gottfried Curio is said to have ambitions for her deputy post. The position of Vice Peter Felser is described as tilty, while the previous deputies Tino Chrupalla and Leif-Erik Holm are likely to be confirmed.

On the other hand, Weidel and Gauland are likely to look forward to a relatively relaxed vote on the Fractional Leader, even though they should receive less support than in September 2017. At that time, at the group's inaugural meeting, 86 percent of AfD parliamentary newcomers voted in favor of the duo.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2019-09-19

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