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Saturday 28 November 2020
By Sebastian Huld
Surprisingly disciplined, the AfD succeeds in adhering to strict hygiene standards at its party’s congress in Kalkar and adopts the key social policy proposal. Therefore, peace is not returning: AfD federal spokesman Meuthen questions the direction of the parliamentary group.
A mask can chronically slip under your nose here and there: the great crown scandal at the AfD party congress in Kalkar, North Rhine-Westphalia, did not materialize on the first day. The strict hygiene standards were mostly observed. In a partly controversial but ultimately focused debate, the more than 500 delegates gathered in an exhibition hall agreed on the key proposal for social policy. This compromise proposal, which brings together economically liberal and national-social ideas from the different party currents, received 88 percent approval. The speech delivered by federal spokesman Jörg Meuthen was generally understood as a declaration of war due to his harsh criticism of the AfD parliamentary group and the right wing of the party.
More than seven years after its founding, the party, which originally focused on criticism of the euro, but later focused mainly on migration and security policy, adopted a concept of social, pension and health policy. This establishes that, in the future, people will be able to decide for themselves when they will retire and then withdraw more or less money accordingly. Politicians and other professional groups who are new to civil service must enter the general pension fund in the future.
Basic income no, critical Corona yes
The proposal to introduce a basic income rate for German citizens of more than 500 euros, which people with higher incomes would lose through taxes, was not successful. The plan that was finally adopted to strengthen pensions by giving families more financial incentives to have more children was controversial. Parents should be reimbursed € 20,000 in pension insurance contributions from tax income for each child. More children, according to the plan, would secure the pension system. However, the fact that more money for families immediately leads to a higher birth rate did not completely convince many AfD delegates.
A large majority, on the other hand, received a supplement to the main motion to include a passage condemning the federal government’s crown policy as alarming. Another application aimed to reform the World Health Organization (WHO). It was hotly debated whether the names of Bill and Melinda Gates will remain in the text, because many delegates are apparently suspicious of the influence of the Gates Foundation on the WHO. Many Corona critics also have stories circulating that the pandemic is a pretext for a secret population policy operated by Gates that uses vaccines.
Some speakers made it clear that opponents of the Corona measures provided the AfD with a new clientele of voters. Here, after years of controversy over how to deal with right-wing extremists and right-wing extremists within our own ranks, there are signs of another conflict.
Exchange of blows between Meuthen and Gauland
Federal spokesman Meuthen had harshly criticized the rapprochement between his party and the so-called lateral thinkers movement in his well-known speech; some of them couldn’t even think clearly. Honorary President Alexander Gauland, on the other hand, defended the AfD’s support for people who would have to fear for their economic livelihoods in light of the crown’s measures.
In his speech, Meuthen had surprisingly harshly criticized the course of the Bundestag faction in dealing with the crown policy of the federal government: “We will no longer achieve success by appearing more and more rude, more and more aggressive, more and more uninhibited. This is not how it works, “Meuthen said. in a passionate speech, which was recognized in the room with applause and boos. Meuthen also criticized the choice of words, especially the Nazi comparisons: “We do not live in a dictatorship, otherwise we could not hold this party congress today.”
“I cannot and will not accept any censorship from Jörg Meuthen for the leadership of the parliamentary group,” the leader of the AfD parliamentary group, Gauland, told the Phoenix station, who himself had used the term Corona dictatorship. “It is really ridiculous that when the word dictatorship of the Crown is used, the constitution is already being endangered.” Some parts of Meuthen’s speech were “divisive”, and he had “offended” many in the plenary.
Weidel abandons live interview
The partial election to the adviser post on the federal executive committee was eagerly awaited after Meuthen’s instigation and Andreas Kalbitz was expelled from the party due to his far-right past, much to the outrage of many on the wing and Gauland. “Let’s leave those out in the rain who love to roll and roll,” Meuthen said. The question of who will succeed Kalbitz is seen as an indicator of the balance of power in the party. The former MP, Carsten Hütter from Saxony, was elected as the new federal treasurer. He prevailed against Emil Sänze of Baden-Württemberg with around 51 percent of the vote.
In the second round of elections for Kalbitz’s successor to the federal executive board, Hessian member of the Bundestag Joana Cotar prevailed against controversial wing Maximilian Krah of Saxony. At the time, Cotar supported the expulsion of Kalbitz, but harshly criticized his speech at the party congress. However, with Cotar and Hütter, the candidates most likely to be assigned to the Meuthen field prevailed.
Gauland co-chair Alice Weidel left the Phoenix reporter in the middle of a live interview. He had asked: “Social policy, the AfD does not agree on that either, should it go more in the economically liberal direction, more in the social-patriotic direction, you call it, others say social-nationalist direction?” Weidel reacted indignantly to the writing: “That is outrageous,” Weidel said and disappeared.
Protests against AfD and mask
As reported by the dpa news agency, around 500 people demonstrated peacefully in front of the amusement park. Numerous police officers secured the party congress from the outside world and were ready to enforce hygiene rules if necessary. Co-federal spokesman Tino Chrupalla appealed in his welcome speech to maintain “distance and decency.” “This congress is important, we must not damage it with careless behavior,” said Chrupalla.
Your party is doing democracy a service by showing how democracy can work even in times of pandemic. The party had filed a claim in vain against the requirement for a seat mask. All delegates sit at individual tables. Some wore their masks for messages, from German colors to the inscription “right” to Beatrix von Storch, who wore a mask from Donald Trump’s election campaign.
