Far-right Alternative for Germany party re-elects leaders as protesters, police clash
Delegates at the national convention of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party on Saturday (July 4, 2026) overwhelmingly re-elected its leaders, including the popular but
Delegates at the national convention of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party on Saturday (July 4, 2026) overwhelmingly re-elected its leaders, including the popular but controversial Alice Weidel, as tens of thousands of protesters aimed to disrupt the meeting, and some clashed with police. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, met in the eastern city of Erfurt to elect its leaders, which German parties do every two years. The party sought to show unity as it voted to extend the terms of Ms. Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who have headed AfD for four years as co-leaders and ran unopposed on Saturday (July 4). Ms. Weidel was re-elected with 81% of the vote, while Mr. Chrupalla earned 70%. The demonstrations outside the convention reflected how AfD has divided Germany even while becoming the biggest opposition party nationally and the strongest political force in Germany's formerly communist east. Saturday's (July 4) event was able to start on time despite the protests, which party officials hailed as their “fundamental, legally guaranteed right to hold party conventions.” “There are no peaceful seated blockades. There are no democratic roadblocks. Nor are there any gangs of thugs who deserve the harmless label civil society.' These troublemakers are the last resort of our political rivals,” Mr. Chrupalla said.
The weekend convention drew additional controversy by coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of a Nazi Party meeting held nearby that consolidated Adolf Hitler's power over the fascist movement. Historians and political opponents say the timing carries powerful symbolism, an accusation the AfD rejects. AfD achieved second place in the February 2025 national election with 20.8% of the vote, the best showing by a far-right party since World War II. Since then, support has risen to first among the nation's political parties. Despite the growing support, some want to see the party banned, and protesters this weekend are likely to underline those calls. But Germany's supreme court has previously set a very high bar for banning parties. Although Ms. Weidel said recently that “2026 is a year of destiny for AfD,” mainstream parties say they won't work with AfD in a stance often referred to as a “firewall” against far-right parties. Police said some 31,000 people attended Saturday's (July 4) protest rallies, German news agency dpa reported. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, with protesters holding signs such as "Stop AfD Nazis” and "For Diversity, Against Nazis.” Lena Raupach, spokesperson for Widerstand, an anti-fascist alliance whose name translates to “resist,” said the group had hoped to block the convention.
The BriefWire