Chinese spy probe: MEP Krah stays EU lead candidate for German far-right party AfD

7 months ago 29

Maximilian Krah, an MEP for the Alternative for Germany (AfD/ID),announced he will remain in the running as the lead EU candidate, following a meeting with party leadership called amid a China espionage scandal.

Krah met with his party’s leaders in Berlin on Wednesday morning (24 April) to explain the arrest of his assistant, who is accused of working for the Chinese authorities.

“I am and will remain the leading candidate,” Krah said after exiting the meeting.

“I have to assume that a criminal offence has probably been committed in my office. It is very unpleasant, and it is in my best interest to clear this up,” Krah told the media.

“However, it’s not that I have done it,” he added.

Following the accusations,Krah’s position in the political family was on the line as the party is being hit by one scandal after another.

However, the party was caught in a conundrum, as the list for the European elections was already submitted and changes to it are not permitted anymore. This complicates the leadership’s decision on how to proceed with Krah and potential strategies for damage control.

Tino Chrupalla, co-leader of the far-right party, previously called the espionage allegations “absolutely worrying.”

According to Lobbycontrol, a German Transparency-NGO, “the suspicion of espionage against his employee has been known since 2023, but Krah did not take any action at the time.”

Krah’s office objected to the statement when asked by AFP, as they “have no reliable information [on that] available.”

[Edited by Aurélie Pugnet/Alice Taylor]