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Dresden (dpa) - In the midst of the third corona wave, 600 AfD delegates are gathering in Dresden for a two-day federal party conference this weekend.
A program for the federal election on September 26th is to be adopted.
A “riot party congress” like the one in Kalkar in November was not to be expected, said chairman Jörg Meuthen at the presentation of the election posters in Dresden.
One will focus on dealing with political opponents.
«This is not a party congress at which internal party struggles will take place.
That is how it is planned and - I also believe - that is how it will come about, "prophesied the party leader.
Several amendments to the statutes and the agenda indicate, however, that at least some of those present want to use the stage to boot out unpopular party friends.
Whether the party will vote for one or two top candidates is open.
Members may vote on this later.
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When asked about Joana Cotar, a member of the Bundestag for Hesse, who had expressed interest in a top candidacy, Meuthen said: "They have my unreserved support."
Meuthen is a member of the European Parliament and - unlike the second party chairman Tino Chrupalla - is not running for the Bundestag.
Chrupalla, who is traded as a possible top candidate, had published an election commercial shortly before the party congress with pictures from his youth in the GDR.
In it he says of the Germans: "We love order, we are hardworking, we are honest, maybe even a little naive."
Jörg Meuthen, who has been one of two chairmen at the head of the party since 2015, had recently come under pressure.
Since last year he has raised the supporters of the right wing movement around the Thuringian AfD boss Björn Höcke against him several times - among other things by the expulsion of the former Brandenburg state chairman Andreas Kalbitz.
The action alliance «Stop the AfD» has called for a protest with distance and mask at the beginning of the party congress.
The delegates in the hall must also wear mouth and nose protection.
Anyone who is released from this obligation by a medical certificate will receive a red lanyard.
Food may only be offered packaged.
The number of journalists and guests is limited to protect against infection.
The Bavarian member of the Bundestag Hansjörg Müller is one of the Corona skeptics in the AfD.
On the eve of the party congress, he wrote in a press release: "Yes, there is the corona virus, but our immune system is prepared to cope with it."
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210410-99-148199 / 3