Bollinger is running as AfD country chief

Created: 05/16/2022Updated: 05/16/2022, 16:42

The Rhineland-Palatinate AfD parliamentary group deputy Jan Bollinger gives an interview.

© Thomas Frey/dpa/archive image

Fresh surprisingly took over as state chairman of the AfD in 2019.

In the new electoral period, he was also elected head of the parliamentary group.

He thinks it would be better to separate the two offices.

Mainz – AfD parliamentary group deputy Jan Bollinger wants to become head of the party in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The state and parliamentary group leader Michael Frisch will no longer stand for election at the state party conference in Pirmasens on Saturday, as Bollinger and Frisch announced to the German Press Agency in Mainz.

According to his party, the 45-year-old Bollinger is the only candidate for the state presidency.

The member of the Bundestag Sebastian Münzenmaier announced that he would run again for the office of the first deputy.

Bollinger said that Frisch unexpectedly took over the office of state chairman in 2019 and only for one term.

Shortly before the party congress in 2019, the deputy Joachim Paul decided not to run for state chairman and let Frisch go first.

Among other things, Paul had come under considerable pressure because of the accusation that years ago he had written an article for a magazine close to the NPD.

He denied writing for the paper.

The SPD, CDU, FDP and Greens voted him out of office as chairman of the state parliament's media committee because of "information about the connection between the member of parliament Joachim Paul and right-wing extremist ideas".

Economist and social scientist Bollinger thanked him for the work of Frisch (65) at the top of the party.

As state party leader, he wants to campaign for more direct participation by citizens and their relief in view of the enormous price increases for fuel, heating and electricity, Bollinger announced.

The police, fire brigade and civil protection must be strengthened.

He is also committed to controlling immigration - precisely because of the wanted acceptance of war refugees from Ukraine.

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"I took office as state chairman in 2019 in order to help the party out of an emergency situation by popular request," said Frisch.

“However, I was and am of the opinion that the offices of the state and parliamentary group chairmen should be in separate hands.” Both tasks are “very challenging and require a commitment that cannot be sensibly performed by a single person in the long term “.

"Together with a new chairman at the head of the state party, this will further increase the clout of the AfD in Rhineland-Palatinate." dpa