AfD: The AfD wants to become more serious - and throws a particularly controversial member out of the party

The AfD in the Bundestag wants to present itself in a more serious manner and has adopted a code of conduct to this end. At a closed meeting in Berlin, the members adopted a code of conduct, as a parliamentary group spokesperson confirmed. The document states: "The members strive for a united and moderate presence in Parliament in order to ensure the political capacity and credibility of the parliamentary group." It also includes rules to exclude bribery and conflicts of interest.

Regarding the issue of behavior in parliament, AfD parliamentary group leader Tino Chrupalla spoke of greater responsibility in light of the growing electorate and announced a different tone for the AfD in parliament. A more serious demeanor is also intended to underscore the AfD's ambition to eventually enter a government. According to a Bundestag overview, the number of calls to order in the plenary session increased significantly from 47 to 135 in the last legislative period compared to the previous legislative period. According to former Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD), the AfD leads the statistics.

Party leader Alice Weidel nevertheless struck a sharp tone on the sidelines of Saturday's closed meeting. She attacked supporters of a ban on the AfD and drew comparisons to the Nazi dictatorship under Adolf Hitler. He was the first to ban parties and restrict press freedom. Weidel specifically attacked the SPD, which had pushed for a ban on the AfD at its party conference. All these "loser parties" in the Bundestag actually wanted to discuss a ban proposal, Weidel said. "And that's exactly what we had in 1933."

Meanwhile, the AfD in North Rhine-Westphalia has expelled a particularly controversial member of the Bundestag from the party. According to DPA, the party's state arbitration court expelled Dortmund member of the Bundestag Matthias Helferich in the first instance.

The state association justified the party expulsion proceedings by arguing that Helferich had "seriously" violated the Basic Law. In a petition to the state arbitration court, it stated that Helferich had "articulated the deportation of German citizens with a migration background and other categories of persons using state coercive measures as a political objective." He had referred to those affected as "beasts." Helferich made these statements in his capacity as a Dortmund member of the Bundestag—in a post dated December 19, 2023, on the X platform, as well as in further posts and publications "in various places."

According to the party, Helferich has 14 days after the verdict is served to appeal the decision before the AfD's Federal Arbitration Court. After that, he could still appeal to a civil court. The proceedings are so "legally flawed" that he is not worried that he will be "sent back to the AfD by a regular court at the latest," Helferich said in a video message on the platform X.