Germany's far-right AfD party calls for new elections

(10 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin - 10 June 2024
1. Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, co-leaders of the AfD, arriving for news conference
2. Close of Chrupalla
3. Pin of the German flag on Chrupalla's lapel
4. Various of cameraman
5. SOUNDBITE (German) Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD:
"Despite months of political, media and secret service defamation and slander campaigns, voters have made the Alternative for Germany (AfD) the second strongest force in the federal government and by far the strongest force in eastern Germany. It has to be said that a large number of citizens did not allow themselves to be fooled by these concerted patronising attempts by politicians, the established media and tax-funded lobby organisations, nor did they allow themselves to be fooled by politically instrumentalised secret services such as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution."
6. Weidel and Chrupalla at news conference
7. Close of Weidel
8. Cutaway camera
9. Close of Chrupalla
10. SOUNDBITE (German) Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD:
"This election result also shows that the coalition government no longer has a majority. Chancellor Scholz should actually follow the example, the very good example of Emmanuel Macron, and clear the way for new elections. And that is also our demand, to call a vote of confidence in the German Bundestag and clear the way for new elections in the German Bundestag."
11. News conference ending
STORYLINE:
The leaders of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party called for new elections on Monday after the country's unpopular governing parties sank to feeble results and the AfD made gains in Sunday's vote for the European Parliament.
While projections showed the mainstream conservative opposition was still the strongest political force by a distance, the AfD finished second place to just over 16% of the vote - an increase of 5% compared to European Parliament elections in 2019.
"Despite months of political, media and secret service defamation and slander campaigns, voters have made the Alternative for Germany (AfD) the second strongest force in the federal government and by far the strongest force in eastern Germany,” Alice Weidel said during a news conference with party co-leader Tino Chrupalla.
"Chancellor Scholz should actually follow the example, the very good example of Emmanuel Macron, and clear the way for new elections," she told reporters.
The government has rejected all calls for earlier elections and said they would take place as planned towards the end of next year.
Weidel and Chrupalla said their party's success was related to their understanding of voters' fears when it comes to topics like migration, the war in Ukraine or the party's opposition to introducing climate-friendly regulations.
The AfD has long-lobbied for tough immigration rules and quick deportations among other things.
However, despite the AfD's increase in votes, the party is still some way short of its poll ratings at the beginning of the year.
The party has seen a string of setbacks since then, including scandals surrounding its two lead candidates for the European Parliament.
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