Weidel and Chrupalla Re-elected as AfD Co-Leaders in Erfurt

Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla will continue to lead the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party after being re-elected as co-chairs at the party congress in Erfurt. Both leaders secured their positions for another two-year term, with Weidel receiving 81.3% of the vote and Chrupalla garnering 70%. While both faced no direct challengers, Chrupalla's vote share saw a slight decrease compared to the previous congress, whereas Weidel experienced a marginal increase. The decision to maintain a dual leadership structure was overwhelmingly supported by delegates, despite the party statutes allowing for a single leader. During the congress, Weidel sharply criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz, likening him to a musician who announces reforms but fails to deliver. The delegates responded with loud approval to the call for "rigorous deportations." Chrupalla articulated the AfD's ambition to "govern," asserting the party has grown into a "people's party" capable of opposition and ready to lead, first regionally and then nationally. Chrupalla has been a party leader since November 2019, making him the longest-serving co-chair since the AfD's founding in 2013. He and Weidel have led the party together since mid-2022. The party leadership also anticipates Stefan Möller, an associate of Thuringia's state leader Björn Höcke, to join the executive board. Both Höcke and Möller are classified as right-wing extremists by the Thuringian domestic intelligence agency, which also designates parts of the AfD itself as extremist.