Michael Frisch, once the head of AfD's Rhineland-Palatinate state and parliamentary group, has stepped away from the party but kept his seat in the state parliament. In Mainz, he explained his reasoning, stating, "Attempts to instigate change within the state party have proven fruitless. Instead, the issues I criticized have amplified and hardened. The AfD in Rhineland-Palatinate has morphed into an elitist party, where a handful of individuals dictate the agenda."
The party no longer tolerates criticism or open dialogue, according to Frisch, who is now 66 years old. "Self-serving ambition and loyalty hold more weight than personal morality and ability, strategic political moves and material gains take priority. There are also ideological shifts within the party that I can no longer endorse. Persistent drifts towards extremism that are not firmly condemned."
Frisch's departure from the AfD state association was welcomed, as its leaders called for the revocation of his mandates secured through the AfD on both local and state political levels. Frisch was ousted as chairman of the AfD faction in the Mainz state parliament towards the end of 2023, with Jan Bollinger taking over. Following a power struggle, Frisch remained in his state parliament seat but left the AfD state parliamentary group.
Bollinger, Frisch's successor and the new Rhineland-Palatinate AfD party chairman, was accused by Frisch of breaching agreements. While Frisch intends to continue his duties in the state parliament and support the fundamental principles of the AfD, he has chosen to distance himself from the party's internal issues after over a decade as a member.
Other party members may face a similar dilemma, struggling to reconcile with the evolving ideology of the AfD. Frisch's decision to stay in the state parliament but not in the AfD party demonstrates that it's possible to uphold the party's principles without being entangled in its internal strife.
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Pending further investigation, it's unclear what specific concerns and conflicts prompted Frisch's departure from the AfD party. Nevertheless, his move has highlighted the internal struggles the party is facing and the potential impact on members who hold different viewpoints.
