Alexander Gauland, the honorary chairman and co‑founder of the AfD, speaks out against accusations of nepotism within his party. In an interview with the news magazine Focus, the 85‑year‑old said, “We have a very hard time finding loyal employees”. He added that the AfD’s widespread exclusion has made it difficult for party members who wish to pursue careers outside politics. “You must take this into account before you issue a ‘condemnation’ verdict” Gauland warned.
Despite defending the party, Gauland voiced concerns about the potential reputational damage that cases of cronyism could bring. “A party can fail over something like this” he said. “I don’t know which is worse: the frustration over these mistakes or the frustration over the total policy failure of others”.
Turning to the CDU, Gauland expressed a willingness to cooperate. “We must stay on course” he told Focus. “But I am against destroying the CDU as some of our colleagues might want to. I do not wish to tear the CDU down. On the contrary, I want to build a civic bloc”. He argued that such a bloc could only materialise if the CDU were to fail among voters and be forced to take new directions.