Germany’s AfD Party Pushes for EU Membership Referendum

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has announced its intention to call for a referendum on Germany’s membership in the European Union (EU) if it assumes power. Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, expressed the party’s desire to reform the EU and curtail the authority of the European Commission. However, if these reforms prove unattainable and fail to restore EU member states’ sovereignty as desired, Weidel suggests that German citizens should have the opportunity to decide their country’s future in a manner similar to the UK.

Weidel commended the UK’s exit from the EU following the 2016 referendum, and she believes that a referendum on ‘Dexit’ — Germany’s potential departure from the EU — could also be a viable option. The AfD has long maintained an anti-European stance, viewing the EU as a failed project.

While the AfD’s voter base generally holds negative views towards the EU, a recent survey indicates that a majority of the party’s supporters would not likely vote for a ‘Dexit,’ with 52 percent expressing support for remaining in the EU. Nevertheless, the AfD is gaining popularity nationwide and currently stands in second place in national polls with 23 percent of the vote, as reported by Politico. The party seems unfazed by recent controversy, which triggered significant anti-far-right protests across Germany, some even calling for a ban on the party.

Last week, a media report revealed that a number of AfD members participated in a secret meeting with neo-Nazis and other extremist groups to discuss ‘remigration’ — the deportation of asylum seekers, migrants, and even German citizens with migration backgrounds who have failed to integrate. Weidel denied attending the meeting.