Escalation: Afd Reaffirms Governance Ambitions and Leadership

At a national convention in Erfurt, Alternative for Germany reaffirmed its goal to govern. Delegates returned Alice Weidel as co-leader with 81.3 percent and Tino Chrupalla with roughly 70 percent. Pointing to nationwide support near 30 percent, Weidel told delegates, "We will govern."

The new 14-member federal board brings in more figures from branches labeled right-wing extremist by Germany’s domestic intelligence service, with six of the 14 coming from those state organizations. New additions include youth leader Jean-Pascal Hohm and Thuringian Stefan Möller, a Björn Höcke ally expected to handle contacts with security authorities.

The meeting unfolded amid large counterprotests in Erfurt. Roughly 20,000 people demonstrated and several thousand officers were deployed, with delegates bused in before dawn under police escort to get past blockades. The party now counts 75,000 members, up from about 50,000 in 2024.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources