The AfD parliamentary group announced the removal of its member Jan Wenzel Schmidt from the caucus on Tuesday during a brief session announcement.
According to attendees, the vote for his dismissal totaled nearly 100 ballots, with roughly twelve votes of “no” and several abstentions. A two‑thirds majority was required for expulsion, and the vote exceeded that threshold by a wide margin.
Schmidt had previously offered to suspend his caucus membership until the summer recess, but the group did not accept the proposal. This step followed an earlier disciplinary proceeding by the AfD state board in Saxony‑Anhalt, where Schmidt had served as general secretary, sat in the state parliament, and secured a direct mandate in the 2025 Bundestag election.
The accusations against Schmidt included alleged business links to China and possible irregularities in hiring staff. He denied all charges and, in turn, raised serious accusations of nepotism against a leadership group within the state board of the party.