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Party leader Meuthen’s opening speech also featured the AfD at the end of his party congress in Kalkar. Meuthen had to hear harsh criticism: only one vote on him was avoided.
By Isabel Reifenrath, ARD capital studio, currently Kalkar
For a long time it was said in the AfD that Dubravko Mandic would not even make his request. They wanted to stop him. However, after federal spokesman Jörg Meuthen’s speech, they apparently could no longer stop him. He did, a motion that was to certify Meuthen’s divisive behavior. He resisted: “What is happening here is a selective and ideologically motivated twist of my speech yesterday.”
Meuthen then downplayed his speech, even grumbling in his judgment of the “lateral thinkers” movement, whose supporters he had testified Saturday that they couldn’t even think head-on, much less cross-think. “Certainly not” he spoke out against the movement of the “lateral thinkers”, “I even said that there were many very sensible people who had justified their criticism.”
Many accusations
The anger of some delegates at his speech had built up overnight, and it must have been hotly debated that night. During the app discussion, some people spoke about their frustration.
One delegate, for example, complained that when he looked at the press, he did not read anything about a key proposal. “I only read that Mr. Meuthen found out that the ‘lateral thinkers’ are right-wing extremists, that we are right-wing extremists in our own ranks, that he has declared war on them. That, dear friends of the party, is detrimental to the party.” She complained. Another delegate also found that Meuthen’s accusations were hurting the AfD: “It only helps the old parties,” he said and called on Meuthen to “go back to the family.” Another delegate introduced “Arrogance” to Meuthen and said, “Doctor Meuthen, your time in the AfD is over.”
Focus on Höcke
Plaintiff Mandic belonged to the right-wing extremist “wing”. His request was aimed at criticizing Meuthen for having expelled Andreas Kalbitz, Björn Höcke’s confidant and former head of the AFD in Brandenburg, from the party. One delegate saw a very specific mastermind behind his proposal. “It’s the Höcke, where is it anyway? Show yourself here. You’re the shooter at the bottom,” he exclaimed.
Björn Höcke, AfD head of country in Thuringia, violently shook his head at the time. In an interview with the ARD capital study He denied being behind the proposal. That was “completely absurd,” he said, “actually, I have nothing to do with it.”
But he found the proposal good. A federal spokesperson must also be held accountable. Meuthen’s speech was “not happy” – “to express myself diplomatically.” Also, the fact that there was no opportunity to speak afterwards “was not a good way to speak English.” Now, Höcke said, this debate had been forced – “and that’s fine with me.”
Vote narrowly rejected
The AfD processed this request for a full two hours. It almost seemed as if this motion was a motion to reject Meuthen. The result: with a narrow majority it was possible to prevent the motion from being voted on. Nor was a vote on another motion. He planned to disapprove of the accusations made in Meuthen’s welcome speech.
Meuthen didn’t look as relaxed after that as he did on Saturday. In the end, he has not yet won the power struggle.
