AfD breaks ties with controversial youth branch JA and establishes new one

riesa - Germany's far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) decides to sever connections with its controversial youth branch and replace it with a new one.

The members of AfD have decided at the party congress that the new youth branch, possibly named Patriotische Jugend, should be more closely associated with the party. The JA was relatively independent from AfD, with members not required to also be party members. This will be mandatory for the new youth branch (for people over 18 years old).

AfD hopes this will provide more opportunities to intervene when youth members misbehave. However, by making the youth branch less autonomous, it might also make it harder for courts to ban the youth division. Observers suggest that this risk also influenced the decision.

JA has been surrounded by scandals in recent years. According to intelligence services, members have anti-democratic aspirations. Some local branches are also suspected of embracing right-wing extremist ideologies.