Status: 11.11.2023, 14:51 PM
By: Kilian Beck
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The Hesse AfD elects a new board. Lambrou and Lichert are considered set. Resistance is expected elsewhere.
Karben – The Hessian AfD will meet this Saturday, November 11, in Karben in the Wetterau district for a state party congress. The focus of the event, which is expected to be attended by up to 224 delegates, is the state board elections. The far-right party emerged from the Hesse election in October as the second strongest force behind the CDU. An alliance of 19 organizations and institutions wants to protest against the event and has called for a counter-event.
Robert Lambrou (2nd from right), co-chairman of the AfD Hesse, and federal spokeswoman Alice Weidel celebrate on election night. © Helmut Fricke/dpa
No surprises are expected at the top of the state board. The two co-heads of state, Andreas Lichert and Robert Lambrou, are standing for re-election, and there were initially no opposing candidates. It is likely that individual assessors will be reappointed, said the press spokesman of the Hessian AfD, Aljoscha Harmsen. Before the elections, AfD federal board member Maximilian Krah wants to give a greeting. He is the party's lead candidate for this year's European elections. Political scientist Hajo Funke attributes him to the openly right-wing extremist camp in the AfD around the fascist Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke.
Unequal top duo: outwardly moderate Lambrou and radical Lichert
Robert Lambrou led the AfD as the top candidate in the state elections. The ex-Social Democrat, who is rather reserved compared to other AfD representatives, is chairman of the parliamentary group in the state parliament. According to a report in the Frankfurter Rundschau, he is considered to be the rather moderate half of the old and presumably new top duo.
His radical counterpart is Andreas Lichert. His contacts in the "Identitarian Movement" are, according to a report in the FR, well documented. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the Identitarian Movement as a suspected right-wing extremist case. According to the report, the AfD co-spokesman is also said to have contacts with the so-called "Institute for State Policy". The association of arch-conservative to right-wing extremist academics has been monitored by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution since April 2023 as "definitely right-wing extremist".
The top duo of the Hesse AfD, Andreas Lichert (left) and Robert Lambrou, are standing for re-election today. © Dpa
Lichert used anti-Semitic codes
In a debate in May, Lichert attracted attention by referring to "international high finance". The then Minister of Economic Affairs, Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens), then accused him of using an anti-Semitic code - an assessment that, according to information from the Frankfurter Rundschau, was endorsed by all parties in the Council of Elders except the AfD. The dispute between the Greens, who are now also expected to be in opposition, and the far-right party is likely to intensify in the coming legislature. (kb with dpa)