(Adnkronos) – For AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla there is no doubt: the speaker who imitated Adolf Hitler at the founding congress of the new youth organization of Alternative for Germany will soon no longer be part of the party. “If that had been the case – he then observed – it would have been terrible satire,” Chrupalla declared, speaking on ntv’s ‘Pinar Atalay’ television program about Alexander Eichwald’s speech. “This is exactly what one can expect from a political opponent,” he stated, alluding to the speech characterized by far-right slogans and references to Hitler, which caused considerable irritation.
“Let’s see what happens. We don’t know everything that might happen yet. In any case, he will not remain a member of the party. That much is certain.” The expulsion should be decided by an AfD arbitration court.
Over the weekend, Eichwald had run in Gießen for a leadership position in the new youth organization Generation Deutschland. The tone and style of his candidacy speech – complete with a rolled ‘r’ – recalled those of the Nazi Reich Chancellor, and an extensive debate arose within the party, as well as online. (continues)
Meanwhile, the AfD in Herford, in the western part of the country, has removed Alexander Eichwald from its faction in the local council. Bielefeld MP Maximilian Kneller told Dpa that Eichwald had been removed. A spokeswoman for the city of Herford confirmed the news.
According to Kneller, preparations for a party expulsion procedure against Eichwald are also underway at the AfD district association. The young man had only been in the AfD for a few weeks and almost no one knew him, Kneller also reported, and until now he had behaved discreetly. This would suggest – he then hypothesized – that his presence in Giessen may have been a deliberate act, on his own initiative or on behalf of third parties.
