Tino Chrupalla, the head of the AfD party, criticized Jordan Bardella, the chairman of the right-wing French party Rassemblement National, in a broadcast on “Welt”. Chrupalla specifically criticized Bardella’s perceived attempts to curry favor, telling him, “Mr. Bardella should first become president” instead of trying to “climb onto Friedrich Merz’s back”.
The comments came after Bardella had distanced himself from the AfD and, according to the FAZ, publicly supported Friedrich Merz of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) by naming him an ally. Despite this public distancing, Chrupalla indicated that he sees many similarities between the AfD and Bardella’s Rassemblement National. He noted, “Even this party, Rassemblement National, is framed as far-right in France. So that is no difference”.
Overall, Chrupalla voiced deep concern regarding the involvement of foreign parties-and within Germany, no less-calling it “highly problematic”. This criticism was not limited to Bardella; he also addressed Giorgia Meloni’s Italian party, Fratelli d’Italia. He stated firmly, “We will not allow that” adding that both the Rassemblement National and Meloni’s party seemed unfamiliar with the necessary political process.
To counter this perceived lack of knowledge, Chrupalla highlighted the AfD’s strong regional connections, mentioning established contacts in both Italy and France, and noting the party’s existing parliamentary group in Brussels with other French members. He asserted that this gave the AfD clear, unquestionable knowledge of its political stance and priorities. He concluded by asserting, “And we work very well there in terms of voting arrangements-and this has often been the case in Brussels in the past”.