AfD reconsiders its position on Germany’s withdrawal from the European Union

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is considering abandoning its traditional opposition to Germany’s membership in the European Union and the eurozone, according to a strategic document reviewed by Reuters on Monday. The proposal would mark a major shift for the party, founded in 2013 initially in reaction to policies aimed at rescuing the single currency.

The document, first reported by German publication Bild, does not call for Germany’s immediate withdrawal from the EU or the eurozone, but rather for a fundamental reform of both structures. AfD proposes transforming the Union into a “union of sovereign nations,” with a reduced role for Brussels and the possibility of national opt-outs in areas such as migration, European finances and social policy.

If the reforms failed, the party would seek to hold a referendum on Germany’s EU membership. The document was drafted by AfD lawmakers from the European Parliament, the Bundestag and state parliaments, and discussed at a meeting held last month. Any change to the party’s political program must be approved by the party congress, scheduled for next year.

AfD, which came second in the latest national elections, behind Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, aims to enter government by 2029. Germany’s main parties, however, refuse to cooperate with the party, which has been classified as far-right extremist by the national intelligence service.