Party congress will determine what the AfD really wants / Germany’s right-wing AfD adopts anti-Islam manifesto

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details 29.04.16
Publication Date 29/04/2016
Content Type

The rising political party in Germany, Alternative for Germany, held its Party Congress in Stuttgart on 30 April - 1 May 2016 to plan its policy platform for the following years. An opinion poll showed that AfD was now the third party of Germany ahead of the Greens

German riot police arrested around 400 protesters on the 30 April 2016 trying to block access to the congress. Clashes broke out between party members and left-wing activists.

In its new party manifesto adopted on the 1 May 2016 the AFD took an overtly anti-Islamic stance, declaring that declared that Islam was not a part of their country, calling for a ban on minarets, the public call to prayer and headscarves in public schools.

The manifesto also questioned climate change, pushed 'family values', recommended the reintroduction of military conscription and proposed to take Germany German out of the euro.

The manifesto adopted by AfD was condemned by politicians of the CDU/CSU and SPD, and also Muslim and Jewish religious communities. A Muslim leader called it socially divisive and a Jewish leader dubbed it anti-religious.

Bild reported on the 3 May 2016 that Chancellor Merkel had warned her CDU colleagues not to attack the AfD too aggressively as it created solidarity among its members rather than drove potential voters away.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://dw.com/p/1IfX9
Related Links
Politico, 27.04.16: Angry 8: Inside Germany’s far-right AfD http://www.politico.eu/article/angry-8-inside-germanys-far-right-afd-alternative-for-germany-national-convention-stuttgart/
ESO: Background information: German state elections: Success for right-wing AfD, losses for Merkel's CDU http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-state-elections-success-for-right-wing-afd-losses-for-merkels-cdu/
Wikipedia: Alternative for Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_for_Germany
Deutsche Welle, 30.04.16: Protests against AfD in Stuttgart http://dw.com/p/1Ifg9
The Local.de, 30.04.16: 400 arrests outside German far-right AfD party congress http://www.thelocal.de/20160430/400-arrests-outside-german-right-wing-afd-party-congress
BBC News, 30.04.16: Germany AfD conference: Hundreds of protesters detained outside venue http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36176901
Spiegel Online International, 27.04.16: Moscow's Fifth Column: German Populists Forge Ties with Russia http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-populists-forge-deeper-ties-with-russia-a-1089562.html
Spiegel Online International: Tag: Alternative for Germany http://www.spiegel.de/international/topic/alternative_for_germany/
Euronews, 01.05.16: How far right is Germany’s new AfD party prepared to swing? http://www.euronews.com/2016/05/01/how-far-right-is-germany-s-new-afd-party-prepared-to-swing/
Euronews, 30.04.16: Hundreds arrested as German anti-immigrant AfD party congress begins http://www.euronews.com/2016/04/30/hundreds-arrested-as-german-anti-immigrant-afd-party-congress-begins/
Deutsche Welle, 01.05.16: German populists AfD adopt anti-Islam manifesto http://dw.com/p/1Ig9c
The Local.de, 01.05.16: Germany's right-wing AfD adopts anti-Islam manifesto http://www.thelocal.de/20160501/germanys-right-wing-afd-adopts-anti-islam-manifesto
Politico, 01.05.16: Germany’s AfD prepares 2017 assault on Merkel and Co. http://www.politico.eu/article/germanys-afd-prepares-2017-assault-on-merkel-cdu-spd-poaching-voters/
BBC News, 01.05.16: Germany AfD conference: party adopts anti-Islam policy http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36182511
Deutsche Welle, 02.05.16: AfD manifesto criticized as 'unconstitutional' for statements on Islam http://dw.com/p/1IgEI
The Local.de, 03.05.16: Blasting AfD won't win back voters, warns Merkel http://www.thelocal.de/20160503/afd-far-right-populists-germany-merkel
EurActiv, 28.04.16: AfD readies for congress, banks on Islamophobia http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/afd-readies-for-congress-banks-on-islamophobia/
EUObserver, 02.05.16: German populist party adopts anti-Islam manifesto https://euobserver.com/political/133293
Deutsche Welle, 17.05.16: German right-wing AfD 'nationalistic, authoritarian, misogynist,' says justice minister http://dw.com/p/1Iou8

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