All AfD MEPs have been excluded from the right-wing ID group in the European Parliament. The numerous negative headlines surrounding Krah had led to a corresponding motion.

All AfD MEPs have been expelled from the right-wing ID group in the European Parliament. A corresponding request from parliamentary group leader Marco Zanni received the necessary support, several parliamentary group representatives told the German Press Agency in Brussels on Thursday. Previously, statements by the AfD MP and top European election candidate Maximilian Krah about the SS had caused sharp criticism.

The adopted decision states that in view of “the series of incidents in which Mr. Maximilian Krah and therefore also the German delegation of the group were involved and in view of the fact that these incidents have damaged the cohesion and reputation of the group.” the membership of the members of the German delegation terminated with immediate effect. The names of all nine AfD MEPs are listed.

The exclusion of the AfD MPs is primarily symbolic, as Parliament will not meet again until after the European elections in two weeks. The parliamentary groups may then be re-formed.

The exclusion request was voted on in a written procedure within the parliamentary group. According to the information, the Italian Lega, the French RN party of Marine Le Pen, the Flemish Vlaams Belang, the Danish People’s Party and the Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy party voted in favor. The Austrian FPÖ and an Estonian party voted against it.

The German AfD delegation leader Christine Anderson had previously tried to prevent the decision and called for a hearing. In addition, supported by six other AfD MPs in the ID parliamentary group, she submitted a motion to exclude only Krah. Only AfD MP Joachim Kuhs did not support him.

The reason for the request from ID parliamentary group leader Marco Zanni was the numerous negative headlines that have appeared about the AfD in recent weeks. The party leadership banned its own top candidate Krah from appearing on Wednesday after the SS statements. The 47-year-old Saxon is also under pressure because of the espionage affair involving an employee and because of his proximity to Russia and China. The number two on the AfD European list, Petr Bystron, will also no longer campaign for the time being following corruption investigations.

The French Rassemblement National had already terminated its cooperation with the AfD before the exclusion process. RN party leader Jordan Bardella said on Tuesday on broadcaster TF1: “I think that the AfD, with whom we have worked in the European Parliament for five years, has crossed lines that for me are red lines.” After the election, new ones will be set Have allies and no longer sit on the side of the AfD.

An interview with Krah in the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica” and the “Financial Times” had previously made headlines. In this, the AfD politician was asked about the National Socialist SS and said: “I will never say that everyone who wore an SS uniform was automatically a criminal.” When asked whether the SS were war criminals, he replied he: “There was certainly a high percentage of criminals, but not all of them were criminals.” He did not mention that Adolf Hitler’s Schutzstaffel, among other things, guarded and managed the concentration camps and was largely responsible for war crimes.