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The AfD is suddenly alone in the EU. No surprise for an expert – but the election could send a “signal” to the right-wing extremists.
Berlin/Munich – The AfD experienced shortly before the European elections the next major scandal: Even the hard-right ID group in the European Parliament has now found the German right-wing populists too extreme – on Thursday (23 May) they pulled the ripcord and excluded the AfD from their ranks.
For the political scientist and EUAccording to expert Nicolai von Ondarza, this is no surprise in terms of content IPPEN.MEDIA says. The AfD has become more and more radical in recent years – this can be seen even better at the European level than at the national level. In his opinion, the hope quickly announced by party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla of finding new “reliable partners” in Brussels could be dashed. Despite the rise in polls for the right in Europe. Nevertheless, the result of the European elections could now become a decisive signal.
AfD has “become too radical”: Even the hardest right in Brussels has had enough – it’s about the strategy
“The AfD started in 2014 in the slightly more moderate group of European conservatives and reformers, the EKR, together with the Polish PiS and the British Conservatives. She was then kicked out of the faction because she had become too radical,” recalls von Ondarza. “In 2019 she became part of the ID faction, but became further radicalized over the course of the legislative period – and has now been thrown out of the faction again.” The development is also illustrated by the case of Jörg Meuthen – the EU MP and former AfD -The boss didn’t just leave the party and parliamentary group. But recently, in parliament, he has repeatedly voted differently than his former party friends.
It is indeed remarkable that the ID, which the expert describes as “right-wing populist to right-wing extremist”, hardly wants anything to do with the AfD. Only the FPÖ from Austria and the Estonian EKRE reportedly voted against the exclusion. This was probably not just about the scandal surrounding the sedated top candidates Maximilian Krah and Petr Bystron – questions of strategy may have played a role. According to von Ondarza’s assessment, their results in the European elections could send a “signal” far beyond Germany.
AfD against Meloni, Le Pen and Co.: European elections could be a “signal” moment
“The other members of the ID faction want to normalize and the AfD is moving further outwards,” explains the head of the EU/Europe research group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. The key question now is whether the AfD will be successful with its course – or, as recent surveys have suggested, will at least lose support compared to previous months.
“This could influence whether other right-wing parties continue to adopt a more moderate image and try to follow Giorgia Meloni and Marine Le Pen, or whether there are also copycats for the AfD in this course of radicalization – in which, as far as I know, it is now almost alone.” says from Ondarza. Le Pen has recently repeatedly distanced himself from the AfD, probably in an attempt to appear more supportive of the state. And Meloni is also striving for an image as a reliable partner in Europe, despite the history of her post-fascist party Fratelli d’Italia and sometimes harsh anti-immigrant tones.
AfD could end up on the EU sidelines: “Will probably be the place where it finds itself again”
According to von Ondarza, Meloni and her ECR allies could have to make a decision about direction after the European elections: a rapprochement with the conservative EPP around the CDU and CSU and thus a stronger involvement in Brussels and Strasbourg seems possible. Or the formation of a new, large, hard-right faction – including, for example, Le Pen or Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz.
The expert, on the other hand, sees the AfD as being sidelined in Brussels in the future. Orbán’s Fidesz became non-affiliated some time ago after tensions with the EPP. However, their future in Brussels seems unclear – this is less true for the AfD. Non-affiliated will “probably be the place where the AfD finds itself after the European elections,” says von Ondarza. (fn)
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