Proposal sought for a directive safeguarding workers from radiation hazards, particularly ionizing radiation.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) faction in the German Bundestag, known for its far-right populist stance, is currently holding a retreat in Berlin to set its course for the coming months. The party, which has significantly increased its representation to 20.8% of seats in the 21st Bundestag, is the second-largest party nationally after the CDU/CSU.
During the retreat, the AfD faction adopted a seven-point paper reaffirming key positions, including a tough immigration policy, advocating for deportations "especially to Syria and Afghanistan". The party's stance against immigration and Euroscepticism, as well as its increasing association with xenophobia and Islamophobia, have become decisive factors in its electoral success.
However, the AfD's public and parliamentary behaviour has led to its classification by the domestic intelligence agency as exhibiting extremist tendencies. This designation has resulted in broad rejection by all other parliamentary factions, who maintain a "Brandmauer" (firewall) policy to avoid cooperation with the AfD in parliamentary roles and committee chair positions. Consequently, efforts to integrate AfD members into key parliamentary functions are blocked by other parties due to concerns about their extremist nature.
Tino Chrupalla, co-party and faction leader, has called for more moderate tones in Bundestag speeches, and members of the AfD faction are expected to strive for a united and restrained appearance in parliament to ensure the political effectiveness and credibility of the faction.
The number of disciplinary actions in the Bundestag plenary increased significantly in the last legislative period, with the AfD at the top of the statistics. Co-leader Alice Weidel criticized Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), and some of the points in the AfD's paper were criticised by Chrupalla himself as outdated.
The AfD's internal rules of conduct and disciplinary measures are not detailed explicitly, but the party's behaviour has contributed to its political isolation. The crisis, according to the AfD, includes crime and economic problems, and those who hoped for a change in politics with the election of the CDU have been "bitterly disappointed".
[1] Bundeswahl 2021: CDU/CSU verteidigt die absolute Mehrheit, die AfD gewinnt Plätze,
[2] AfD-Parteitag 2022: Was hat der AfD-Parteitag in Berlin beschlossen?,
[3] AfD-Fraktion im Bundestag: Die extremistischen Tendenzen der AfD,
- The AfD's tough immigration policy, a key point in the seven-point paper recently adopted, emphasizes deportations to Syria and Afghanistan, serving as a significant factor in their electoral success.
- The Bundestag's escalating disciplinary actions against the AfD, particularly during the last legislative period, have been largely attributed to the AfD's extensive involvement in war-and-conflicts-related policies, crime-and-justice issues, and general-news controversies.
- The classification of the AfD by the domestic intelligence agency as exhibiting extremist tendencies has impacted policy-and-legislation, with other parliamentary factions implementing the "Brandmauer" (firewall) policy to avoid cooperation with the AfD, leading to political isolation.
