German far-right calls EU a ‘failed project’ as it readies for European Parliament elections

VIENNA — The far-right Alternative for Germany has declared the European Union a “failed project” in its current form as it adopts its program for next June’s European Parliament election at its party convention in the eastern city of Magdeburg, the German news agency dpa reports.

The text states that the EU has “completely failed” in all important areas, including its migration and climate policy, and it rejects the Euro as a currency.

However, the party stopped short of demanding Germany’s exit from the EU. Instead, the AfD is calling for the EU to be re-founded as a “federation of European nations,” dpa reports.

According to the election program, the main tasks of the new federation should be the protection of external borders against migration, strategic autonomy in security policy, and the preservation of “different identities” in Europe.

Recent polls put support for the AfD at 19-22%, behind only the main conservative opposition bloc. AfD candidates recently won elections in eastern Germany to lead a county administration for the first time since the 1930s and now holds the mayoralty in a town with a population of 56,000.

The program adopted in Magdeburg today takes a softer line towards the EU than the draft program from June, in which the AfD said it would seek the “orderly dissolution of the EU.”

Several AfD officials had previously voiced their desire for Germany to exit the EU altogether, in what is called “Dexit.” However, the new program says the AfD supports the idea of a “Europe of fatherlands, a European community of sovereign, democratic states.”

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said that the new compromise had been reached during negotiations tonight, dpa reports.

The convention also finalizes the AfD’s list of 35 candidates for the European Parliament election next year.