In the recent party conference held in Essen, the Alternative for Germany’s current top duo, Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, were reaffirmed as leaders of the right-wing opposition party. While Chrupalla received 82.72% support and Weidel won 79.77%, it was Weidel’s speech that received longer applause, indicating her popularity among the grassroots.
Chrupalla focused his speech on the “middle class” as the AfD’s target group, emphasizing their importance as value creators. He also highlighted the party’s readiness to take on government responsibility in eastern Germany in the upcoming three elections. On the other hand, Weidel stressed the need for better communication within the party to ensure clear presentation of their program to voters.
Stefan Brandner from Thuringia was confirmed as first deputy, while Peter Boehringer from Bavaria was named second deputy for both Chrupalla and Weidel. Despite a challenge from Dirk Spaniel, Kay Gottschalk won third deputy position with a focus on combating perceived “brutalization” from the left, which clashed with Spaniel’s call for national pride.
The conference concluded with a sign of efficiencies in personnel decisions with Carsten Hütter being confirmed as Federal Treasurer. The role of regional associations in resolving conflicts through prior agreements was noted during the conference, raising questions about balance between professionalization and grassroots democracy within the party.
Overall, it seems that while there are differences in approach between Chrupalla and Weidel in terms of program emphasis, they both share a common goal of taking on government responsibility and representing their constituents effectively.
