AfD party congress re-elects leadership in Erfurt

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party re-elected its co-chairs during a congress held in Erfurt. Alice Weidel received 81.3% of the delegate votes, an increase from her 79.8% result two years ago. Tino Chrupalla received 70.05% of the vote, down from his 82.7% result in 2024. Both leaders face internal criticism; Chrupalla is accused by some western members of being too pro-Russian and critical of U.S. President Donald Trump, while Weidel has been questioned for maintaining her primary residence in Switzerland. During the event, both leaders expressed ambitions to govern independently following the September state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. A proposal by Björn Höcke to abolish the party’s 'incompatibility list', which restricts cooperation with certain extremist groups, was removed from the agenda. The party leadership maintains that the AfD is becoming the new major populist force in Germany.