AfD member Matthias Helferich has been expelled from the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of the party.
Matthias Helferich, a Member of the German Bundestag, has been expelled from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in North Rhine-Westphalia due to his "Nazi views." The state arbitration court of the AfD in North Rhine-Westphalia made this decision public on July 5, 2025.
The expulsion follows a series of extremist statements and affiliations that surfaced in 2021. Messages from a chat revealed Helferich referring to himself as a "Nazi-friendly person" and expressing right-wing radical views. Despite his exclusion from the AfD parliamentary group following the 2021 federal elections, the party allowed him to run again in this year's elections.
Helferich has two weeks to lodge an appeal against the expulsion decision, which was accepted in first instance by the state arbitration court on Saturday. However, the ruling is not yet legally binding.
The expulsion of Helferich is a significant event within the German political landscape and has been reported by several media outlets. Despite his status as a Member of Parliament in Germany, Helferich's expulsion from the AfD does not affect his position in the Bundestag.
This development underscores the AfD's ongoing struggle with extremist elements within its ranks and its commitment to maintaining a distance from Nazi ideology. The legal process regarding Helferich's expulsion is ongoing, and the outcome will likely have implications for the future of the AfD party in Germany.
The expulsion of Matthias Helferich from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) follows his acceptance in first instance by the state arbitration court, and it provides a significant example of policy-and-legislation and politics in general-news due to his Nazi views and extremist affiliations. Helferich has two weeks to decide if he will apply for an appeal against his expulsion decision, which, if successful, could impact the future of the AfD party under the gaze of ongoing policy-and-legislation scrutiny.
