AfD faces financial scandal ahead of state party conference

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Baden-Württemberg is grappling with a financial scandal as it heads into its state conference in Heidenheim. Allegations of financial misconduct by a former treasurer in the Stuttgart district have cast a shadow over the proceedings.

According to media reports, the deceased treasurer is accused of embezzling tens of thousands of euros from an AfD account, allegedly using the funds for personal expenses like cruises, haircuts, and restaurant visits. The state leadership has labeled the actions as fraud. In response to the accusations, the state executive committee took a drastic step in late April, dissolving the Stuttgart district board, citing a lack of adequate control over the treasurer.

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We have established that fraud has been committed within the AfD since 2021 – and this is now being clarified.

However, the situation has ignited internal conflict. Former district board members have pushed back against the state leadership, including co-state chairmen Emil Sänze and Markus Frohnmaier. They argue that organizational problems lie with the state party and that the irregularities in Stuttgart should have been apparent to the state leadership as early as 2023. The lawyer representing the dismissed officials also criticized the federal AfD, accusing it of refusing to address the issue and denying a fair hearing.

Around 400 delegates are expected to attend the two-day conference, where they will also elect a new state executive board. Frohnmaier and Sänze, who have led the state chapter since 2022 and overseen a near doubling of the AfD's vote share to 18.8% in the March state election, are seeking re-election. The conference will also formally confirm the new Stuttgart district board, which was appointed by the state executive committee following the dissolution of the previous one.

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There is an organizational problem at the state party level.