German far-right in crisis mode ahead of EU election campaign kick off

7 months ago 33

Germany’s far-right AfD is in deep crisis mode ahead of its election campaign kick-off on Saturday, with its two leading candidates for the European elections embroiled in scandals over spying for China and catering to Russian influence attempts.

“Our international reputation is ruined,” a party source exclaimed after two recent scandals hit the German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD/ID) just as the European Parliament election campaign is about to kick off this Saturday (27 April).

Most recently, their lead candidate has been facing preliminary investigations by the German authorities, such as “whether there is indeed an initial suspicion of criminal conduct involving bribery of a member of parliament.”

According to sources familiar with the matter, the party will likely not use the already prepared campaign posters and TV spots with Krah in it. He was also advised to stay away from any campaign efforts.

Krah himself stated on Wednesday that he will not participate in the campaign kick-off on Saturday.

The lead candidate has been embroiled in two scandals in three weeks. Both involve the accusation of being influenced by foreign actors, an especially unpleasant accusation for a party that brands itself as standing up for German interests.

The most recent one involved Krah’s alleged close relations with China. Media reports on Krah’s trips to China and his favour for the country have been around for some time, but now the German authorities are looking into it.

“All this is nothing new,“ a high-ranking party source explained. “We are all relieved that this is finally out in the world.”

In addition to taking paid trips to China, his parliamentary assistant was arrested at the beginning of the week for being employed by the Chinese intelligence service.

In addition to spying on the Chinese opposition in German exile, he is accused of gathering information from the European Parliament on files of Chinese interest while working as an assistant for Krah.

However, this is not the only country that has used members of the AfD to promote its agenda.

At the beginning of April, revelations by the Czech secret service uncovered a Russian propaganda network spreading throughout Europe, and right in the midst of it again – the AfD and both of their top EU candidates.

German authorities are looking into accusations that Krah and the AfD’s second in line, Petr Bystron, took money in connection with the news outlet Voice of Europe, which Prague said was part of a pro-Russian influence operation.

The far-right party is now backed into a corner as there is no longer any way to change the election list. Not even a voluntary withdrawal could change the names on the ballot for the European elections in June and the only way to be written off the electoral list is death or a ruling by a judge barring him from standing for election.

To make matters worse, it recently became apparent that the current German far-right delegation has issues among itself and is willing to go against its leadership in Berlin to get its way.

In an unprecedented move, members of the AfD delegation in the European Parliament, most of whom are leaving, elected Christine Anderson as the new delegation chair, defying a direct request by the party leadership not to proceed.

Anderson is number four on the electoral list, meaning three out of the party’s top four candidates have already caused the AfD severe headaches.

The Alternative for Germany had issues with their European delegation almost constantly and a long history of MEPs leaving the delegation.

Jörg Meuthen, last election’s top candidate, left the party in 2022, declaring that he lost the power struggle with the extreme party wing.

The recent scandals have taken their toll on the party and in the eye of the public. From their former high of 23% in December 2023, the AfD dropped to 16%, their worst polling results since May of last year, according to ntv.

[Edited by Oliver Noyan/Alice Taylor]