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AfD parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel (archive image)
Photo: FILIP SINGER / EPA
Actually, the election program should be adopted at the AfD federal party conference.
But before the two-day meeting in Dresden, it had long been speculated whether, contrary to previous plans, a top duo would be chosen on the spot.
The co-party leader Tino Chrupalla and the party vice and parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, Alice Weidel, were repeatedly traded for this.
Both are considered to be opponents of co-party leader Jörg Meuthen in the internal party dispute, who tried to prevent the election of a top duo in the run-up to the party congress - including through an online member survey carried out weeks ago, which a majority spoke out against, but management staff for the federal election to choose now in Dresden.
Instead, this election should take place separately in the summer, according to the plan.
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In view of these circumstances, Weidel decided not to compete in Dresden.
"The very unfortunate situation arose that two different procedures were steered against each other on the question of the top candidate for the federal election," she told SPIEGEL.
On the one hand, the federal party congress, as the highest decision-making body, was asked to decide on the candidacy; on the other hand, a member survey had been initiated in advance by the majority of the federal executive committee, "the result of which cannot be ignored."
This adverse circumstance led her to the decision "not to be available for the top candidacy at this party congress," said Weidel.
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