2nd Place AfD Brings Back from the Cold 2 Nazi-Stained Rejects

Photo Credit: AfD’s Facebook page

An AfD voter recruitment ad saying, ‘Apply Now,’ August 16, 2024.

The right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) saw its support double from 10.4% to 20.8% in last Sunday’s federal elections, increasing its representation in the Bundestag from 77 to 152 MPs. Of these, 60 were part of the previous parliament, while 92 are newly elected—including some controversial figures with ties to extremist networks.

The AfD group in the Bundestag on Tuesday voted to accept Matthias Helferich. Helferich was elected to the Bundestag in the fall of 2021 through the AfD’s North Rhine-Westphalian state list but was initially excluded from the parliamentary group. Now he is part of it. Helferich has sparked controversy due to past comments he made in older chats, where he described himself as the “friendly face of National Socialism.” He later explained to dpa that he was merely repeating a label applied by a leftist and mocking it. When questioned, he “definitely” denied any links to National Socialism. Helferich is still facing expulsion proceedings from the AfD’s North Rhine-Westphalian branch, which were initiated last year. An application to the party’s regional arbitration court at the time accused Helferich of advocating for the deportation of German citizens with migration backgrounds and other groups, using state coercive measures as a political goal. He had reportedly referred to those affected as “cattle.”

The AfD parliamentary faction also voted to admit Maximilian Krah, often referred to as “Schampus-Max” due to his lavish lifestyle, is known within his party for being self-centered. He is making the move from the European Parliament to the Bundestag amid multiple scandals. Krah employed an individual who is now in custody on suspicion of spying for China. Additionally, a suspected Russian spy reportedly gained access to the European Parliament through Krah’s office in Brussels. The AfD was expelled from its parliamentary group in the European Parliament after Krah caused an uproar last May by telling The Financial Times that the Waffen-SS were not all criminals.

Islamist men in Germany: “When we become the majority, we’ll take over Germany by force. German laws will be replaced by Sharia law.

If the Germans stand against us, they will be attacked. Christians and Jews will have to convert or leave.”

Only the AfD could’ve saved Germany! pic.twitter.com/nuaPxnodKo

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) February 23, 2025

The Financial Times suggested on Tuesday that the AfD’s historic outcome is poised to increase its political visibility and financial resources, further intensifying the already heated national political discourse in Germany. However, the party has little prospect of joining the government, as Friedrich Merz of the center-right Christian Democrats, the election victor, has ruled out any collaboration with a party he and other mainstream politicians regard as politically toxic.