Ex-AfD Head Frauke Petry Unveils New Anti-Statist, Liberty-Focused Party
Frauke Petry to Establish a New Political Party - Political figure Frauke Petry intends to establish a new political party.
In a surprising move, former Alternative for Germany (AfD) chairwoman Frauke Petry announces plans to establish a new political party. Set to hit the state elections as early as 2026, this fresh contender, as-yet unnamed, has a clear ideological focus and distinct policy goals.
"The divides in the party system aren't between the CDU and AfD, but in the vacuum of an anti-statist, libertarian offering," the 49-year-old explains during a candid interview with Welt. She emphasizes that the new party's program will centers around rekindling the cultural connection to the West and offering a powerful counterpoint to the contemporary political landscape.
Transitioning from her controversial stint in the AfD, Petry envisions a future with a significantly smaller state presence in the economy, aiming to bring down the state's economic share from around 50% to a quarter within five years. "We're the only party with this objective, pushing for freedom of speech," she asserts[1].
The Exit from AfD
Before establishing her new venture, Petry carved a polarizing path within the AfD. As one of the party’s founders alongside Bernd Lucke, her departure in 2017 stirred controversy[2]. The catalyst? A growing far-right faction, led by Thuringia's AfD state chairman Björn Höcke, asserted dominant influence within the party.
In the wake of her exit, Petry served as an independent member of parliament until 2021, during which time she also founded the Blue Party. Despite its ambitions, the party announced its dissolution at the end of 2019 following disappointing results in Saxony and Thuringia elections.
Now, Petry has her sights set on a more successful comeback, revealing plans to compete in the next year's state elections, beginning with Baden-Württemberg[2]. She proposes an innovative approach for the 98% of voters not traditionally aligned with existing parties, the candidates for which will not be required to join the party[1].
- Frauke Petry
- AfD
- CDU
Footnotes
[1] Die Welt, "Frauke Petry neuen Parteigründung"
[2] Tagesschau, "Frauke Petry läutet neue Partei ein"
[3] Tagesspiegel, "Team Freiheit: Petrys neue Partei"
In the interview with Welt, Frauke Petry, a former AfD chairwoman, discusses her plans to establish a new political party that will challenge the status quo, focusing on policy-and-legislation areas such as reducing the state's economic share and emphasizing freedom of speech. Despite her departure from the AfD and the dissolution of her previous Blue Party, Petry's new venture aims to gain momentum by competing in the next year's state elections, starting with Baden-Württemberg. The political landscape in Germany may see a shift as Frauke Petry's party could potentially attract voters traditionally not aligned with either the CDU or the AfD.
