{"id":35691,"date":"2026-11-02T10:11:52","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T08:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/?p=35691"},"modified":"2026-11-02T10:11:52","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T08:11:52","slug":"afd-nimechchyna-vykhid-yes-yevro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/world\/afd-nimechchyna-vykhid-yes-yevro\/","title":{"rendered":"The far-right AfD is changing its stance on the European Union: what is happening in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The German far-right party \u00abAlternative for Germany\u00bb (AfD), which has opposed European integration for over a decade, has begun to reconsider its stance on the country\u2019s membership of the European Union and the eurozone. Following a record result in the regional elections, the party is proposing to reform the EU from within rather than leaving it immediately. According to Reuters, the change in approach is linked to the AfD\u2019s growing political influence and discussions about its possible participation in the federal government.<\/p>\n<div class=\"news-summary-box\"><strong>Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The German far-right AfD is reconsidering its stance on leaving the EU and the eurozone.<\/li>\n<li>The new strategy envisages reforming the European Union and expanding the powers of national states.<\/li>\n<li>In the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the party secured a record 43.8% per cent of the vote.<\/li>\n<li>There are ongoing disputes within the AfD regarding the future of the euro and European integration.<\/li>\n<li>The party continues to oppose military aid to Ukraine and to call for the restoration of relations with Russia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The AfD proposes reforming the European Union rather than leaving it<\/h2>\n<p>The \u00abAlternative for Germany\u00bb party was founded in 2013 amid widespread dissatisfaction with the bailout policies for eurozone countries facing a debt crisis. One of its initial demands was for Germany to abandon the single European currency.<\/p>\n<p>Subsequently <a href=\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/world\/merts-zaiavyv-pidtrymku-rosii-afd\/\">AfD<\/a> She extended her criticism to the European Union as a whole, and opposing immigration became the central theme of her political campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>There is now increasingly active discussion within the party about a different approach to European policy.<\/p>\n<p>In October, the co-chair of the AfD <strong>Alice Weidel<\/strong> presented the strategic document \u00abA New Course for Europe\u00bb to the European Parliament in Strasbourg (<em>A New Deal for Europe<\/em>). It was developed in collaboration with allies from the far-right group \u00abEurope of Sovereign Nations\u00bb (ESN).<\/p>\n<p><strong>The document proposes a review of the EU\u2019s founding treaties<\/strong> and transform the union into a less centralised alliance of sovereign states. In particular, the AfD advocates a mechanism that would allow individual countries to opt out of certain common policies, notably regarding migration and defence spending.<\/p>\n<p>The party also proposes to tighten controls over compliance with budgetary rules and to return some powers from European institutions to national parliaments.<\/p>\n<p>However, the document does not envisage Germany immediately abandoning the euro. If attempts to reform the EU prove fruitless, the authors of the strategy propose putting the country\u2019s future European course to a referendum.<\/p>\n<h2>The victory in Saxony-Anhalt has strengthened the party\u2019s position<\/h2>\n<p>The debate over the AfD\u2019s new European policy intensified following the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, which took place on 6 September.<\/p>\n<p>The party received 43.8% of the vote \u2014 its best ever result in regional elections. This secured it 39 of the 83 seats in the regional parliament, although it did not secure an absolute majority.<\/p>\n<p>The result has fuelled debate about the AfD\u2019s prospects of participating in the running of the country and its potential relations with other political forces.<\/p>\n<p>One of the key issues remains cooperation with the Chancellor\u2019s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) <strong>Friedrich Merz<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>At present, the CDU rules out the possibility of forming a coalition with the AfD. Merz himself confirmed after the election in Saxony-Anhalt that he has no intention of cooperating with the far-right party. At the same time, some AfD representatives believe that categorical demands for withdrawal from the EU and the eurozone could complicate the search for political partners.<\/p>\n<h2>The AfD\u2019s youth wing is in favour of keeping the euro<\/h2>\n<p>Among those in favour of revising European policy is a 29-year-old <strong>Jean-Pascal Gom<\/strong>, head of the AfD\u2019s youth wing, Generation Deutschland. According to him, abandoning the single currency would cause Germany significant economic damage.<\/p>\n<p>Young party representatives stress that, against the backdrop of competition with China and changes in transatlantic relations, European countries need to maintain economic cooperation.<\/p>\n<p>A professor of political science at the University of Kassel shares this view <strong>Wolfgang Schr\u00f6der<\/strong>. He points out that the German economy is heavily dependent on exports and international trade, so leaving the EU or the eurozone would pose a serious threat to its stability.<\/p>\n<p>The issue of the euro remains a contentious one within the AfD itself.<\/p>\n<p>In August, Gom proposed a resolution to the youth wing in support of the European ideal. However, the document had to be withdrawn due to a lack of support from the delegates.<\/p>\n<p>Consequently, the new strategy does not yet signify a definitive abandonment by the entire party of its previous Eurosceptic positions.<\/p>\n<h2>Right-wing parties in France, Italy and Austria have already changed their approach to the EU<\/h2>\n<p>Several influential far-right political movements in Europe have undergone a similar evolution in the past.<\/p>\n<p>The French \u00abNational Union\u00bb, led by <a href=\"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/politics\/le-pen-rosiia-frantsiia-auchan-nestle\/\">Marine Le Pen<\/a> For a long time, it had advocated rejecting the euro, but gradually dropped this demand from its political programme.<\/p>\n<p>In Italy, the Prime Minister\u2019s party <strong>Giorgi Meloni<\/strong> \u00abAfter coming to power, the \u00bbBrothers of Italy\u2019 softened their Eurosceptic rhetoric and focused on promoting their own priorities within the EU.<\/p>\n<p>The Austrian Freedom Party (FP\u00d6), which maintains close ties with the AfD, has also abandoned some of its most radical anti-European demands.<\/p>\n<p>During the presentation of the new strategy, Alice Weidel stated that her party advocates the concept of a \u00abEurope of nations\u00bb, in which nation states would retain greater powers.<\/p>\n<p>However, this change in the party\u2019s European strategy does not imply a revision of its other foreign policy positions. The AfD continues to oppose military support for Ukraine and to advocate for the restoration of Germany\u2019s relations with Russia.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u041d\u0456\u043c\u0435\u0446\u044c\u043a\u0430 \u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0430 \u043f\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0456\u044f \u00ab\u0410\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d\u0430\u0442\u0438\u0432\u0430 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u041d\u0456\u043c\u0435\u0447\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0438\u00bb (AfD), \u044f\u043a\u0430 \u043f\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0434 \u0434\u0435\u0441\u044f\u0442\u044c \u0440\u043e\u043a\u0456\u0432 \u0432\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0443\u043f\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438 \u0454\u0432\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0435\u0439\u0441\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0457 \u0456\u043d\u0442\u0435\u0433\u0440\u0430\u0446\u0456\u0457, \u043f\u043e\u0447\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0430\u0442\u0438 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u044e \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0456\u044e \u0449\u043e\u0434\u043e \u0447\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0457\u043d\u0438 \u0432 \u0404\u0432\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0435\u0439\u0441\u044c\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u0421\u043e\u044e\u0437\u0456 \u0442\u0430 \u0454\u0432\u0440\u043e\u0437\u043e\u043d\u0456. \u041f\u0456\u0441\u043b\u044f \u0440\u0435\u043a\u043e\u0440\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0440\u0435\u0437\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0430\u0442\u0443 \u043d\u0430 \u0440\u0435\u0433\u0456\u043e\u043d\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u0445 \u0432\u0438\u0431\u043e\u0440\u0430\u0445 \u043f\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0456\u044f \u043f\u0440\u043e\u043f\u043e\u043d\u0443\u0454 \u0440\u0435\u0444\u043e\u0440\u043c\u0443\u0432\u0430\u0442\u0438 \u0404\u0421 \u0437\u0441\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0438 \u0437\u0430\u043c\u0456\u0441\u0442\u044c \u043d\u0435\u0433\u0430\u0439\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0437 \u043d\u044c\u043e\u0433\u043e. \u042f\u043a \u043f\u043e\u0432\u0456\u0434\u043e\u043c\u043b\u044f\u0454 Reuters, \u0437\u043c\u0456\u043d\u0430 \u043f\u0456\u0434\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u043f\u043e\u0432\u2019\u044f\u0437\u0430\u043d\u0430 \u0437\u0456 \u0437\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044f\u043c \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0456\u0442\u0438\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0433\u043e \u0432\u043f\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0443 AfD \u0442\u0430 [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207433346,"featured_media":35692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_description":"\u041d\u0456\u043c\u0435\u0446\u044c\u043a\u0430 AfD \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0430\u0454 \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0456\u044e \u0449\u043e\u0434\u043e \u0432\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u0437 \u0404\u0421 \u0442\u0430 \u0454\u0432\u0440\u043e\u0437\u043e\u043d\u0438. \u0427\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u0443\u043b\u044c\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0430 \u043f\u0430\u0440\u0442\u0456\u044f \u0437\u043c\u0456\u043d\u044e\u0454 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u044e \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0435\u0433\u0456\u044e.","rank_math_title":"AfD \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u0430\u0454 \u043f\u043e\u0437\u0438\u0446\u0456\u044e \u0449\u043e\u0434\u043e \u0432\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0434\u0443 \u041d\u0456\u043c\u0435\u0447\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0438 \u0437 \u0404\u0421","rank_math_focus_keyword":"AfD","td_subtitle":"","subtitle":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[805619],"tags":[806756],"class_list":["post-35691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world","tag-806756"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207433346"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35693,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35691\/revisions\/35693"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ukrmedia.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}