Danish People’s Party demands a purge of extremist elements in the German party Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party’s Member of the European Parliament and lead candidate for the EU elections, Anders Vistisen, has issued an ultimatum: Remove Maximilian Krah from the party, otherwise AfD will no longer be part of the Identity and Democracy group (ID). Vistisen states: “There is complete agreement in the group that Maximilian Krah has crossed the line in terms of membership for us. Therefore, we have shown the Germans the door and told them to throw out the extremist elements. A red line has been drawn.” The controversy surrounding Krah began after he reportedly told the Italian media La Repubblica, as reported by the EU media outlet Politico, that he “would never say that anyone wearing an SS uniform is automatically a criminal,” referring to the Nazi uniforms. Anders Vistisen believes that such statements are not compatible with the values of the ID group and calls for a zero-tolerance policy towards extremism. “Maybe they could learn from the rest of us who have a zero-tolerance policy towards extremists and fools,” he says.
Marine Le Pen’s party, Rassemblement National, has also distanced itself from AfD under the current circumstances, according to Politico. Vistisen emphasizes the importance of confronting what he calls “five or six problem children” within AfD if the party is to remain in the ID group. “It is not compatible with our values. This is not just a small step over the line. It is far beyond what is acceptable,” he says. AfD otherwise plays an important role in the German debate on mass immigration, Vistisen points out, but to enable future cooperation, he demands a clear stance against Holocaust denial and other extreme statements about Germany’s Nazi past, as well as cooperation with states like China and Russia.