The #AfD‘s leadership is highly fragmented. Regional figures play an important role for the ideology and image of the party. The national executive has not one, but two party chairs. While Frauke Petry is the more prominent and visibly radical of the two, co-leader Jörg Meuthen, an academic economist, has long refused to be sidelined in the struggle for power within the party.
For months, Meuthen has declined to rule out that he would stand as Spitzenkandidat for his party in the upcoming 2017 Bundestag election. But yesterday, he finally announced that he wants to keep his seat in the Baden-Württemberg state parliament. Of course, there is a barb: Meuthen also said that someone else could be Petry’s co-Spitzenkandidat.
RT @kai_arzheimer: From the vault: AfD: Frauke Petry’s co-leader not running in 2017 Bundestag election https://t.co/15Mbd9Z27C
AfD: Frauke Petry’s co-leader not running in 2017 Bundestag election https://t.co/kFAUf1efPu via @kai_arzheimer
RT @kai_arzheimer: #AfD: Frauke #Petry’s co-leader not running in 2017 Bundestag election – kai arzheimer https://t.co/4FTk34mVm4