- Unanimously and with thunderous applause, the AfD delegates chose the party leader, Alice Weidel, as their candidate for chancellor in the federal election.
- The SPD and the CDU also met.
- Olaf Scholz was nominated as his party’s candidate for chancellor.
The co-chair of the AfD, Tino Chrupalla, had previously appealed to the almost 600 delegates in Riesa, Saxony, with a view to current surveys: “Now we have to leave the 20 percent mark behind us and keep climbing,” with the aim of Weidel also to make her Chancellor. He himself “protects the front woman’s back”.
Running for the AfD in the election campaign for the Chancellery: Alice Weidel.
REUTERS / Matthias Rietschel
The 45-year-old was chosen as candidate for chancellor by acclamation by standing up. Accompanied by a light show, loud music and cheers, Weidel then took the stage, painted a gloomy picture of the situation in Germany and listed the AfD’s positions in the election campaign.
Weidel: “Make Germany rich again”
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Weidel told around 600 delegates, many of whom were waving German flags, that the AfD was needed to make Germany “strong, rich and safe again”. The borders must be closed completely and the message sent to the world: “The German borders are closed.”
She accused the Union of copying the AfD election program and insulted the CDU as a “fraud party” that needed to be overtaken. The AfD leader also made it clear that she has no problem with the term “remigration”. There was thunderous applause for her exclamation: “When we are at the helm, we will tear down all the wind power plants. Down with these windmills of shame.”
The party conference began more than two hours late. Due to numerous blockages of access routes by counter-demonstrators, the arrival of many of the approximately 600 delegates was delayed. The organizers of the protests spoke of 12,000 participants, the police of 10,000.
A large number of people are walking towards the AfD conference venue in Riesa. Some carry banners like “Never again – No stage for the AfD”.
Keystone / DANIEL WAGNER
The content of the two-day party conference is about the AfD’s election program for the federal election. A draft is available. This includes demands for an exit from the EU, the euro and the Paris climate agreement. Several points are still controversial. There are numerous amendments proposed, including in foreign, energy, migration and family policy.
“Patriotic Youth” instead of “Young Alternative”
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A controversial point on the agenda also revolves around the AfD’s young talent: The AfD leadership wants to replace the youth organization “Junge Alternative” (JA), which the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies as a “secure extremist effort,” with a new organization called “Patriotic “Youth” who are more closely tied to the party.
-According to their own statement, the AfD leadership hopes that the reform will result in more action in cases of misconduct. Experts also see the motivation as being that the AfD youth would be better protected from a ban if they were no longer an independent club.
Scholz: “It’s about a hell of a lot”
The Social Democrats also held their special party conference in Berlin. Prime Minister Olaf Scholz was confirmed as candidate for chancellor and the SPD’s election program was approved.
A vast majority of delegates voted for 66-year-old Olaf Scholz as (renewed) candidate for Chancellor.
Keystone/CHRISTOPH SOEDER
Scholz vowed his party to catch up in the hot phase of the election campaign: “It’s about a hell of a lot,” said Scholz in his 51-minute speech. “We are fighting to preserve and renew the successful brand “Made in Germany” – for ordinary people in our country. So let’s fight.” The 600 delegates celebrated him standing with six and a half minutes of applause.
Directional decision between the SPD and the Union
The Social Democrats want to become the strongest party again in the federal election on February 23rd, but are currently 13 to 20 percentage points behind the leading Union in the polls and are also in third place behind the AfD. Scholz was nevertheless confident that the trend reversal can still be achieved. “Winter election campaigns can have a good ending,” he said. In Hamburg he stood for election twice in February and won. “I think that’s encouraging at this time.”
CDU/CSU at the top
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The federal election is scheduled for February 23rd. In surveys, the Social Democrats are still far behind the CDU/CSU. According to the ZDF political barometer, the Union currently has 30 percent (-1 percentage point). The AfD gains two percentage points and is at 21 percent. The Greens achieved 15 percent (+1), the SPD 14 percent (-1). The FDP, Left and BSW can only expect 4 percent each and would therefore not meet the five percent hurdle for entry into the Bundestag.
Scholz viewed the election as a directional decision between the SPD and the Union. “We are actually at a crossroads in Germany,” he said. “The next 10 years will be crucial years.” If Germany takes a wrong turn on February 23rd, “then we will wake up in a different country.” This time, the Chancellor largely refrained from harsh criticism of the former coalition partner FDP or the Greens.
Merz: “We need fundamental change”
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Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz is calling for significant course corrections in German politics after the federal election. “We need a really fundamental change in essential parts of politics,” said the CDU leader at the end of a closed meeting of the CDU executive board in Hamburg. This affects the economy, labor market, migration policy, internal security and also some areas of foreign and security policy.
With a view to the upcoming hot election campaign phase, Merz emphasized that he was leaving the closed meeting “very, very confident”. «We are ready to take responsibility for our country. But we also know that things cannot continue like they have been for the last three years.” On the question of options for or against certain coalition partners, the CDU leader said that the Union was not running an election campaign against anyone, but “for us”.
