Ex-party leader Meuthen: AfD’s soaring will not last

Dhe former AfD chairman Jörg Meuthen considers the high poll numbers for the right-wing party to be a temporary development. “We are talking about survey results that cannot be easily transferred to upcoming elections,” said Meuthen of the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Tuesday edition). “I assume that the polls will also go down again. People are not for the AfD out of love for the party, but out of sheer desperation.”

The high flight of the party can be explained, said Meuthen. “It is the fear of many people in view of the complete failure of the current governing parties: falling real wages, erosion of the middle class, migration problems.” People have “quite well-founded fears of loss and social decline,” said the MEP. “Fear is the fuel for a party like the AfD”.

Alice Weidel’s candidacy for chancellor is likely

Meuthen considers Alice Weidel’s candidacy for chancellor to be very likely. “Alice Weidel wants that, and I’m sure she will too. That gives the AfD a lot of attention in an election campaign,” said Meuthen. However, he does not consider the AfD to be “connectable” with its current course. “Neither the CDU nor the FDP would ever govern together with the AfD. And absolute majorities are out of reach for the AfD. There is no real power option,” Meuthen continued.

In the state elections in Thuringia next year, too, the AfD has no chance of appointing the prime minister. “I would bet very high that Björn Höcke would not become prime minister in Thuringia.” He expects fierce competition in Thuringia. “I’ll only mention one name: Sahra Wagenknecht. There will definitely be a lot going on before the election.” Meuthen has been a member of the Center Party and a Member of the European Parliament since 2022. From 2015 to 2022 he headed the AfD.