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#Petry: Leader of AfD resigns less than 24 hours since election success

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Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) yesterday (24 September) celebrated becoming the third largest party in Germany. This morning the party’s leader, Frauke Petry, resigned at the party’s press conference and declared that she would sit as an independent in the Bundestag, writes Catherine Feore.

It is estimated that the AfD won 12.6% of the vote and could have as many as 94 seats – or 93 as of this morning. Their success can be attributed in large part to voters from former Eastern Germany, particularly men. The East/West divide still marks German politics nearly 30 years since the fall of the Berlin wall.

Petry said: "We should be open about the fact there there is conflict regarding content within the AfD, we should not pretend it doesn't exist.”

The rift is linked to the more extreme views of fellow party members, in particular the party’s co-chair Alexander Gauland, who made racist comments about a black Bayern Munich footballer and who said that Germany should be proud of soldiers in both world wars, and should no longer ‘reproach’ those who fought in the second world war.

This is the moment Petry announces her decision and the surprised reaction from the party’s press officer.

 

 

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