Delegates at the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party congress on Sunday rejected a proposal to impose stricter rules on foreign travel and interviews with foreign media for politicians from the far-right party.
The proposal for stricter rules, made by several MEPs, follows extensive negative media attention over trips to Russia and appearances in Russian state media by AfD politicians expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Florian Köhler, an AfD member of the Bavarian state parliament and supporter of the motion, criticized “visits to regional dictators or autocrats” and said the party should focus more on the German homeland to avoid being seen by voters as alternate agents of foreign affairs. states.
The rules would require AfD MPs to consult with the party leadership before giving interviews to foreign media, meeting foreign leaders abroad or making trips “with a political connection.”
The motion also referred to Maximilian Krah, the scandal-plagued top candidate of the AfD in the recent European Parliament elections.
The AfD was expelled from the right-wing Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament after Krah made highly controversial comments in an interview with an Italian newspaper defending members of the SS paramilitaries.
