German AfD wants to dismantle EU, turn into confederation of nations
The German far-right AfD wants to dismantle the EU in its current form and transform it into a confederation of nation-states with limited power, the party stated during its EU election kick-off on Saturday (27 April).
Marc Jongen, EU candidate for the AfD, considered one of the leading figures in forming the party’s ideology, told Euractiv that “the AfD wants to strengthen our national sovereignty and limit the power of the EU to what is necessary and conducive.”
In his opinion, the EU is transforming into a “European superstate” which “would no longer be a democracy and would make Germany the permanent paymaster of Europe.”
The party has recently left the idea of an EU-exit Germany’s behind. Instead, it advocates their new strategy to “Re-think Europe” into a “Confederation of European Nations”.
According to their election programme, the AfD wants to work against the “continuous erosion of the sovereignty of nation states” with the Identity & Democracy group, which includes Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National and Italy’s Lega.
“We are not anti-European, […] but we no longer want this EU,” Co-Chair Tino Chrupalla stated on Saturday.
The core idea is to keep the – for Germany profitable – EU internal market while cutting away most cohesion projects. The current EU will be replaced by a new European economic and interest community without “the EU’s drive for more centralisation and paternalism,” their campaign states.
As a medium-term goal, the party, founded initially with its Euro-sceptic stance at the centre, has set out to “abolish the undemocratically elected EU Parliament”.
Until the EU is reorganised into their envisioned Confederation of Nation States, the Council should have the legislative power, “bound by the decisions of the national parliaments in their voting behaviour.”
But the structural dismantling of the EU was not the main topic of the conference, with opposition to climate change measures, migration, and gender policies taking centre stage.
While the far-right party wants to restore “the self-determination of the EU member states in asylum and immigration policy”, it supports European coordination and shared costs of the “protection” of external borders for a “Fortress of Europe.”
Their founding idea of opposing the euro is still the core of the monetary policy of the AfD, which they make out as “failed”. “A new Deutsche Mark could regain its higher purchasing power compared to other countries,” the election programme states.
In addition, the party considers the EU and German ambitions regarding climate change a nuisance and a danger to the German economy. They doubt the consequences of excessive CO2 emissions and the idea of climate change and advocate abolishing all European and national climate protection measures.
In terms of foreign policy, the EU candidates, led by Maximilian Krah, would like a reorientation towards Russia and China in exchange for more “sovereignty” of Germany from the US. The economic sanctions against Russia will be abandoned, and “Germany’s relations with the Eurasian Economic Union are to be expanded.”
China’s Belt and Road Initiative finds significant support: “In order to help shape the programme on an equal basis, the AfD is committed to Germany’s proactive participation.”
Saturday’s event took place in the shadow of multiple scandals involving the AfD’s EU candidates and the party at large. Top candidate Maximillian Krah was forced away due to fears of further reputational loss over his aide was arrested on suspicion of spying for China, and it was revealed he was also under investigation.
During the event, the allegations of working for both Russian and Chinese interests were dismissed as being based in fear of the AfD and being politically motivated.
German far-right in crisis mode ahead of EU election campaign kick off
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.
Read more with Euractiv
