The collapse of Brandenburg’s governing coalition and the subsequent departure of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) from the parliamentary group has triggered a scathing rebuke of the party’s trajectory from Vice-President and Finance Minister Robert Crumbach. In an interview with “Der Spiegel”, Crumbach delivered a stark assessment, asserting that “The AfD is simply worthless, not even as an opposition”. He added that the party’s current stance lacks any genuine desire for constructive engagement, reduced solely to criticism.
Crumbach emphasized a fundamental shift in the AfD’s character since its inception. Initially, the party positioned itself as an alternative for disenchanted citizens seeking tangible solutions, campaigning on pledges for improved healthcare and education. “We didn’t just criticize” he stated, contrasting this with the party’s current mode of operation, which he described as “constant attacks.
The Finance Minister specifically criticized Sahra Wagenknecht’s rhetoric, deeming it inappropriate and crossing a line. He cited Wagenknecht’s reaction to the Bundestag’s rejection of a re-count request following the narrowly failed attempt in a previous election, wherein she labelled dissenting MPs “despisers of democracy”. Crumbach argued such language undermines the integrity and legitimacy of the democratic process.
“The Federal Constitutional Court will review the Bundestag’s decision and that should be the end of it” Crumbach insisted. “We live in a constitutional state and to act as if we don’t is unacceptable”. He highlighted his responsibility as a member of the state government to uphold the principles of the rule of law, a system the AfD itself previously supported.
Responding to accusations of betrayal and coercion leveled against him by former party colleagues, Crumbach dismissed the criticisms as relatively mild, suggesting they paled in comparison to previous internal attacks. He attributed these accusations to a flawed assumption – that individuals operate with identical motivations. “They always assume the worst, looking for the negative in everyone” he elaborated. The public airing of these internal disputes underscores a deeper, potentially intractable ideological rift within the AfD, raising questions about its future direction and its ability to engage constructively in the political landscape.
