Alexander Gauland, the honorary chairman and co‑founder of the AfD, defended his party against accusations of nepotism. In an interview with the news magazine Focus, he said, “We find it very difficult to attract loyal staff”. He noted that the AfD’s mass exclusion has made it hard for members who want to pursue careers outside politics, and cautioned that one must keep this in mind before issuing a “damning verdict”.
Despite these concerns, the 85‑year‑old warned of the reputational damage that nepotism cases could inflict. “A party can fail over something like this” Gauland said, adding that he was unsure whether the greater frustration lies in these mistakes or in the overall political failures of others.
Turning to the CDU, Gauland expressed a willingness to cooperate. “We must stay on course” he told Focus. “But I am against dismantling the CDU the way some of us propose. I do not want to destroy the CDU. On the contrary, I want to build a civic bloc”. He added that such an effort would only be possible if the CDU were to fail among voters and be forced to seek new paths.
