According to his Sunday interview with ARD, AfD leader Tino Chrupalla does not consider climate change a significant issue, even in the wake of an extreme summer. During citizen discussions, he claims that the problems people face are primarily related to other matters, such as high gas or electricity prices, the state of peace and war in Europe, and pension levels.
Chrupalla views the discussion of climate change as “panic-mongering.” He stated explicitly, “For me, that was a completely normal summer.” Furthermore, he alleges that the federal government is seeking to “draw money out of people’s pockets through this climate hype to invest in a CO2 levy.”
Addressing the extreme temperatures, the AfD chief advocates for adaptation measures. He insists that measures such as providing “air conditioning for everyone” and creating cool zones are necessary. Additionally, he proposed that Germany should reforest its woods, while simultaneously halting or prohibiting the felling of timber for the construction of wind turbines.
Looking ahead to a potential state government takeover following the election in Saxony-Anhalt, Chrupalla stated that top candidate Ulrich Siegmund should have the sole discretion on how he intends to govern. The federal executive board would not interfere with this decision. He emphasized that the party’s goal is an absolute majority, but they would be willing to cooperate with all other political groups. “We invite everyone who has the best intentions for Germany,” he concluded.
Regarding the AfD Saxony-Anhalt’s proposal to establish a citizen watch program, Chrupalla supports the idea, asserting that it must be properly coordinated and supervised. He stressed that a prerequisite for membership should be a clean criminal record. However, he argued that such a program should be feasible while the police force is understaffed.
These plans, however, have drawn sharp criticism from labor unions. Olaf Sendel, the state chairman in Saxony-Anhalt, warned that “the path to self-justice is not far-and that is even due to a lack of professionalism in the fervor.” Chrupalla dismissed this concern, arguing that numerous private security firms already exist to ensure order and safety at events because the police can no longer provide that level of service.
