Data Leak Exposes Inner Workings of Germany's AfD: Over 400,000 Internal Emails
Journalists have used more than 400,000 internal emails from Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to report several controversial findings about its politicians. These include claims that a Bundestag member gathered information for Syria's Assad regime.
A large data leak has put more than 400,000 internal emails from Germany's far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) into the hands of reporters, offering a look at how the party works internally. The findings come from Pauline von Pezold of POLITICO and Frederik Schindler of the newspaper WELT, who present the podcast "Inside AfD." The party is monitored by Germany's domestic intelligence service, the Verfassungsschutz, yet its support continues to grow.
Link to the Assad regime
According to the emails, Bundestag member Markus Frohnmaier collected sensitive information for the Assad regime in Syria. The source does not specify what kind of information it was.
Weidel's fight against sexist posters
The leaked material indicates that Alice Weidel, now the party's leader, argued vehemently inside the party against sexist election posters, but was unsuccessful.
Other personnel and internal disputes
The reporters say the AfD once tried to expel a female member over allegedly racist statements. That woman now serves as a judge on Bavaria's state constitutional court.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, a German federal state, an internal power struggle around the state party chief Martin Vincentz has escalated as far as a criminal complaint alleging embezzlement.
Planned Bundestag event
Frohnmaier is planning an event in the Bundestag promoting a neutral "Switzerland of the East." Among the panelists is Julia Mendel, a former spokesperson for the Ukrainian president. Her participation has caused outrage and raised the question of how the party pursues its foreign policy agenda in practice.
The "Inside AfD" podcast is released every Wednesday by Pauline von Pezold and Frederik Schindler.
