Germany’s AfD expelled from far-right EU parliament group
Al Jazeera
Weeks before elections, ID group says it does not want to be associated with incidents involving AfD’s Maximilian Krah.
The far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament says it has decided to expel the Alternative for Germany (AfD) delegation weeks before elections for the assembly.
The decision follows comments that Maximilian Krah, the AfD’s lead candidate in the elections, made to an Italian newspaper at the weekend that the members of the Nazi paramilitary SS force were “not all criminals”.
“The Bureau of the Identity and Democracy Group in the European Parliament has decided today to exclude the German delegation, AfD, with immediate effect,” ID said in a statement on Thursday.
“The ID Group no longer wants to be associated with the incidents involving Maximilian Krah, head of the AfD list for the European elections,” the statement said.
Krah, 47, whose aide has been charged with spying for China, has already had to resign from the AfD’s leadership board and promised not to make any further campaign appearances although he is still seeking re-election to the European Parliament.
