AfD leaders demand rerun of NRW candidate list selection

The national leadership of Germany's AfD party is demanding a do-over of the candidate list selection for the upcoming North Rhine-Westphalia state election. Party chairs Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel sent a letter to the state executive board, warning that "considerable evidence" suggests election principles were violated during the initial process. They are urging the board to halt the ongoing proceedings and hold a new assembly to ensure the list is "legally sound."

The federal leaders cited reports of delegates being threatened or pressured, stating that merely condemning such actions and referring to state investigations is insufficient to avert the risk of the list being disqualified. They pointed to the 2023 Bremen case, where the AfD was barred from the state election after two competing state executive boards submitted candidate proposals.

The dispute has escalated at the AfD's state party conference in Marl, where internal conflict erupted over the placement of candidates for next year's state parliament election. The party anticipates a strong showing, potentially winning at least 30 seats. While the top 10 list positions were divided without opposition, significant internal strife emerged for subsequent spots with good chances of securing a parliamentary seat. For instance, over 90 candidates vied for list position 22, each allocated up to eight minutes for speeches, which threatened to derail the conference schedule.