German rightwing party AfD describes EU as a failed project
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Ahead of the European Parliament elections, AfD pitches an electoral program calling for a restructuring of the EU into a federation.
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German lawmakers attend a debate at the parliament Bundestag at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Friday, May 12, 2023 (AP)
Earlier on Sunday, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) pitched its program for the upcoming European Parliament election: declaring the European Union (EU) a failed project in its current form.
The party criticized the EU's handling of migration and climate policies and rejected the Euro as the currency of choice.
During its party convention in the eastern city of Magdeburg, the AfD called for a restructuring of the EU as a "federation of European nations."
According to the election program, the envisioned federation's main objectives would be focused on securing external borders against migration, seeking strategic autonomy in security policy, and preserving the unique identities of European nations.
While recent polls indicate the AfD's support stands at 19-22%, making it the second-largest party behind the main conservative opposition bloc, the party did not advocate for Germany's exit from the EU, opting rather for a reformist approach.
The party also finalized its list of 35 candidates for the European Parliament election, with Maximilian Krah selected as the AfD's lead candidate with 65.7 percent of the party delegates voting for him.
Read more: Poll shows increased support for Germany's AfD
Results from an opinion poll conducted during July 17-21 on a sample of 1,266 German citizens by the Institute for New Social Answers (INSA) for the German newspaper Bild revealed that the German right-wing opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has hit a record high of 22 percent in support from eligible voters.
The survey further showed that support grew by 2 percent week-on-week and two-fold year-on-year.
This makes it the second party in the ranks of the opposition bloc, which consists of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria parties.
The survey also showed that the opposition bloc at large garnered 26 percent of backing.
The poll found that the governing coalition made up of the center-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (18%), the Alliance 90/The Greens party (14%), and the Free Democratic Party (7%), did not record an increase in support among eligible voters and together gained 39%, a level below the required minimum to have a majority in the German parliament.
