Alternative for Germany (AfD) Expelled from Far-Right Identity and Democracy Group Amid Scandals

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been expelled from the Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament following a series of scandals.

The decision comes just weeks before the European elections, creating significant political turbulence for the AfD.

The tensions within the ID group reached a peak this week after Maximilian Krah (pictured), a senior AfD lawmaker, made controversial remarks to an Italian newspaper, suggesting that members of the Nazi SS were not necessarily criminals.

Germany's far-right AfD bans its lead candidate in next month's European elections, Maximilian Krah, from making public appearances, following his comments that not all members of Nazi SS units were criminals https://t.co/C84gfUsxo8

— dpa news agency (@dpa_intl) May 22, 2024

This statement provoked widespread condemnation and led to Marine Le Pen, the French far-right leader and a member of the ID group through her National Rally party, publicly disassociating from the AfD.

Le Pen stated her unwillingness to continue sitting with the party, reflecting the deepening rift within the far-right alliance.

The ID group’s leadership subsequently voted to expel the AfD, according to two sources within the party. The expulsion marks a significant blow to the AfD as millions of Europeans prepare to vote in the upcoming elections.

The vote to expel the AfD was confirmed by Jaak Madison, an Estonian MEP in the ID group, who pointed to Krah as the main issue due to his controversial statements and prior involvement in scandals related to Russia and China.

In an attempt to mitigate the fallout, AfD MEPs proposed the expulsion of Krah alone, citing his “continued violation of the Group’s cohesion and reputation.” However, this proposal was ultimately rejected, leading to the expulsion of the entire AfD delegation from the ID group.

The AfD has been embroiled in multiple scandals, particularly involving Krah. In April, German police arrested one of Krah’s parliamentary aides on allegations of spying for China.

This was followed by preliminary investigations by German public prosecutors into claims that Krah had accepted payments from Russia and China for his work as an MEP.

Furthermore, another AfD candidate has been implicated in a cash-for-influence scandal involving a pro-Russian propaganda outlet.

These scandals have significantly impacted the AfD’s standing in the polls.

According to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls, the AfD is projected to win 16 percent of the vote in the upcoming European elections, down from 22 percent in January. The repeated controversies and the resulting expulsion from the ID group appear to have dented the party’s popularity.

Krah announced on Wednesday that he would pause his campaign and step down from the party’s leadership board while continuing as the party’s top candidate for the EU elections.

This decision underscores the party’s internal turmoil and the challenges it faces in restoring its reputation.

Marine Le Pen’s distancing from the AfD highlights the broader strategy of European far-right leaders to moderate their image.

Le Pen has been keen to present her party as less radical, especially to appeal to the French electorate. Her disassociation from the AfD, which has become increasingly radical in recent years, aligns with this effort.

In January, after an investigation revealed that AfD politicians participated in a clandestine meeting of right-wing extremists discussing “remigration” plans, Le Pen expressed her total disagreement with such views.