AfD in Berlin: allegations against Beatrix von Storch – arbitration court annulled delegate election

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Beatrix von Storch: Party arbitration court confirms allegations against AfD politicians

Photo: Michaela Rehle/ REUTERS

The election of the Berlin delegates for the AfD federal party conference has turned into a fiasco for the party – and has been occupying the party courts for some time.

As the "Tagesspiegel" reports, the state arbitration court of the AfD has now canceled the election.

An employee of the Berlin AfD state and parliamentary group leader Kristin Brinker confirmed the report to SPIEGEL.

At the center of the case is Beatrix von Storch.

She was accused of putting several candidates on the list of applicants last June, even though they neither wanted nor had applied.

According to the "Tagesspiegel", the court has confirmed the allegations against the AfD top politician.

According to this, von Storch put three candidates on the electoral list for the delegate election when it had already been closed.

"Der Tagesspiegel" quotes the decision of the party court as "an inadmissible change to a list of applicants already closed by the party congress".

Such an approach is both a serious and irreparable electoral error.

From stork attacks judge

According to the report, von Storch reacted to the verdict with allegations against the judges.

The State Arbitration Court misrepresented facts and drew legally untenable conclusions.

In November, the politician declared that the allegations were unfounded.

"The chairing of the session was impeccable," she said at the time.

It is unclear how things will continue now.

Brinker's employees announced that the "legal consequences and possibilities are being examined".

According to the "Tagesspiegel", consultations are currently taking place as to whether the case should be passed on to the AfD federal arbitration court.

According to the report, the AfD state association has now been instructed to immediately organize a new, statutory election.

If this does not take place before the AfD federal party conference on June 17 in Riesa, Saxony, the delegates elected in 2019 should attend the meeting.

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