The 15th Federal Party Congress of the Alternative for Germany took place on June 29th and 30th, 2024, at the Grugahalle in Essen. Among other matters, the federal executive board was newly elected.[1]
Congress
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The city of Essen attempted to prevent the congress at the Grugahalle, partly due to Nazi slogans from AfD members and to avoid the anticipated chaotic conditions from the congress and counter-demonstrations.[2] On June 4th, Messe Essen terminated the rental contract with AfD following disputes over conditions regarding potential Nazi remarks by congress speakers. AfD initiated legal action and was allowed to hold their congress in Grugahalle as planned. In 2015, the significant 4th Federal Party Congress in the Essen Grugahalle occurred, which led to the strengthening of the right-wing faction that still dominates the party.
Executive board election
editThe federal chairs Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel were re-elected with significant support, with Chrupalla receiving more votes than Weidel. New to the board, among others, was Young Alternative for Germany leader Hannes Gnauck, who narrowly secured his position in the third round of voting.[1]
| Position | Elected individuals |
|---|---|
| Federal Chairperson | Alice Weidel, Tino Chrupalla |
| Deputy Federal Chairperson | Stefan Brandner, Peter Boehringer, Kay Gottschalk (new) |
| Federal Treasurer | Carsten Hütter |
| Deputy Federal Treasurer | Alexander Jungbluth (new) |
| Secretary | Dennis Hohloch |
| Advisory Board Members | Dirk Brandes (new), Hannes Gnauck (new), Marc Jongen, Martin Reichardt, Roman Reusch, Heiko Scholz (new) |
Other matters
editA proposal to elect only one federal chairperson and one Secretary General instead of two federal chairpersons was narrowly rejected.[citation needed]
Counter-protests
editApproximately 300 organizations called for protests against the congress, with some forming the coalition "Widersetzen". Some organizations advocated for active resistance and blockade of the congress, leading the Essen Police to anticipate their largest deployment in city history. Over the weekend, the area around the convention center was closed to motorists. In Essen, 32 counter-protests occurred from Friday to Sunday, with the largest event attracting about 50,000 demonstrators on Saturday afternoon, followed by approximately 25,000 in the afternoon. Smaller protest marches took place on Sunday. Essen Mayor Thomas Kufen, who sought to prevent the congress in advance, participated in the protest, which was criticized by AfD. The counter-protest against the congress was the largest demonstration ever held in Essen.[5]
There were predominantly peaceful protests, but there were also incidents of disturbance and vandalism by left-wing extremist demonstrators, resulting in injuries to 28 police officers.[5] Additionally, hundreds of activists attempted disruptions to prevent AfD delegates from attending the congress, leading to delays. AfD delegate Stefan Hrdy reportedly bit a demonstrator who had allegedly harassed him and spat at two SPD politicians.[6]
Ruhrbahn temporarily renamed the U-Bahn station Messe West-Süd/Gruga to #Vielfalt as a sign of protest against AfD.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b phoenix (June 29, 2024). "phoenix LIVE: AfD Federal Party Congress in Essen". Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ tagesschau.de. "Essen Exhibition Center terminates rental contract for AfD Federal Party Congress" (in German). Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ dta. "Federal Executive Board". Alternative for Germany (in German). Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ n-tv NACHRICHTEN (June 29, 2024). "AfD elects five new members to the executive board" (in German). NTV. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "AfD Congress: "The largest protests Essen has ever seen"" (in German). WELT. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ "AfD delegate bites and spits at demonstrators in Essen". ZDF Info (in German). ZDF. June 30, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
- ^ Martin Spletter (June 27, 2024). "AfD Congress in Essen: Ruhrbahn renames station" (in German). Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
Further reading
edit- Tanno, Sophie (2024-06-29). "Protesters and police clash as Germany's far-right AfD begin conference". CNN. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
- Marsh, Sarah (2024-07-01). "Germany's far-right AfD closes ranks at party congress after scandals". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
External links
edit- phoenix LIVE: AfD Federal Party Congress in Essen | June 29, 2024, Phoenix, available on YouTube
- phoenix LIVE: AfD Federal Party Congress in Essen | June 30, 2024 (excerpt), Phoenix, available on YouTube