The AfD federal party conference at the end of June will discuss two foreign policy resolutions in addition to the election of the federal executive board. Both of the previously unpublished motions have been made available to WELT AM SONNTAG. A “prudent, de-escalating foreign policy” is needed, says a motion by defense politician Jan Nolte. The text was signed by party leader Alice Weidel, North Rhine-Westphalia state leader Martin Vincentz and six other West and East German state leaders.
The text is clearly intended to reflect various currents within the party. “We clearly condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine. It is also true that the foreign policy of various Western states in recent years has encouraged the escalation in Ukraine,” the resolution states. “A stable and sustainable European security architecture cannot realistically be achieved without involving Russia.”
It goes on to say that the “sovereignty” of Germany and Europe must be strengthened “naturally also vis-à-vis Russia.” “A prudent foreign policy must neither adopt the escalatory and irrational actions of the old parties nor uncritically adopt Russian positions and narratives.”
The applicants also call for the German trade partnership with China to be strengthened. However, one should not be “naive” when dealing with partners. “Germany must emancipate itself more from US foreign policy,” they also say. “The right basis for this is not ideological, anti-American resentment, but the sober realization that the USA is a major power that is our partner, but that is prepared to assert its interests against Germany’s will if necessary.”
The other resolution was drafted by foreign policy expert Matthias Moosdorf and signed by the chairmen of six regional associations, also from West and East Germany, including Björn Höcke from Thuringia.
The text entitled “For a Europe of Peace” does not explicitly mention the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. “Germany is a country in the middle of the continent and has been a mediator between North and South, East and West for many centuries,” it claims – without mentioning the two world wars started by Germany.
“The Alternative for Germany sees itself as a peace party, as a party in which the primacy of diplomacy and compromise is considered paramount,” the resolution continues. “The recognition of legitimate security needs is clearly in Germany’s interest.” The image of the peace party is controversial within the AfD.
The text also hints at cultural relativism and ethnopluralism. The latter is a concept of the New Right that claims that peoples have unchanging cultural identities that must be protected from foreign influences. The motion states: “We reject pseudo-morally based universalism, which often goes far beyond compliance with the UN Charter. Just as we want to live according to our tradition, all other cultural areas and civilizations should also be able to do so.”