The campaign, with which the AfD wants to ignite protest against the energy and Russia policy of the federal government, is entitled: "Our country first!".

That sounds more than a little like Donald Trump's "America first".

Is the former American president a role model for the AfD?

Andreas Nefger

Editor in Politics.

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Party leader Tino Chrupalla evaded a clear answer when presenting the campaign.

"I don't want to answer that for or against in any way," he said on Thursday in Berlin and spoke of a certain "reference".

There was nothing new in the matter as to how this “anchorage” should be imagined.

Chrupalla and his co-chair Alice Weidel reiterated well-known positions.

"Robert Habeck's economic war" against Russia, which is a war against its own people, preoccupies her more than Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.

"We want to see German interests in the foreground," said Chrupalla.

When asked whether it wasn't also in Germany's interest to stop Putin's military ambitions, he added: "We have nothing to do with this war, this war has not been declared on us."

AfD politician hopes for a dramatic situation

New were posters for the planned demonstrations with the core demands of the AfD: "Yes to nuclear power!" and "Nord Stream 2 instead of gas levy!" For example.

In October, the AfD calls for protests for the first time in Berlin.

After that, it should initially continue in the east, where the state associations can get more out of the idea of ​​​​politics as a movement – ​​shared by Trump – than the western associations.

However, Weidel was certain that people in the West would also demonstrate in large numbers, after all there was a risk of "Germany's deindustrialization" and "absolute impoverishment".

Due to current events, the chairmen had to be asked whether the AfD was not longing for the gloomy prophecy.

A video excerpt had previously spread on social media showing Harald Weyel, a member of the Bundestag, in conversation with an AfD colleague before the start of a discussion round - apparently assuming that the microphones were not switched on.

When his colleague remarked that it would be “so dramatic” in winter, Weyel, who sits on the federal executive board, says: “You have to say hopefully, right?

If it's not dramatic enough, then it's the same as always.” Weidel didn't want to see anything disreputable about it.

Weyel didn't long for anything, she said: "What he meant is that the worsening of the situation will hopefully lead to a change in policy."