The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) will allow an embattled and controversial regional politician, Daniel Halemba, to remain in the party as part of a settlement over deportation proceedings.
Halemba, 23, is under criminal investigation over allegations that his right-wing university association in Würzburg, Teutonia Prague, used banned Nazi symbols and that members used the Nazi salute “Sieg Heil.”
He is also under investigation for suspicion of sedition, money laundering, coercion and material damage.
He has firmly denied any criminal conduct, although fellow lawmakers in Bavaria have lifted his parliamentary immunity to allow the investigation to proceed.
AfD party colleagues had accused him of breaking the rules and initiated expulsion proceedings against him. Halemba went to an arbitration court to defend himself against deportation, a case that resulted in the settlement.
An AfD party spokesperson told dpa on Monday that Halemba will be banned from holding office for 18 months and will be stripped of all possible party positions with immediate effect.
“However, the Federal Board of Governors reserves the right to withdraw this settlement by October 26, 2024,” the spokesperson said.
Halemba was first elected to the Bavarian state parliament in October 2023.
The general secretary of the Bavarian centre-right Christian Social Union (CSU), Martin Huber, has rejected the decision. The CSU has long been the dominant force in Bavarian state politics.
“The fact that Daniel Halemba is allowed to remain in the AfD despite popular incitement, SS memorabilia and the ‘Sieg Heil’ is unthinkable,” Huber said, referring to the allegations against Halemba.
Huber claimed that the decision shows how “right-wing extremism and National Socialism are part of the AfD. The AfD is a disgrace to Germany.”
