Germany: AfD Revives Idea of Dexit

Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not earn the confidence of the Bundestag, paving the way for early elections scheduled for February 23, 2025. Two months of strong political upheaval lie ahead, not only for the future of Germany’s organization, but also for the future of the entire European Union. And this is because the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been very insistent on reviving the idea of Dexit, i.e. Germany’s withdrawal not only from the European Union, as the UK did in its time (Brexit), but also from the eurozone.

This can be read in the election manifesto that the AfD distributed to its members ahead of the party’s annual congress, scheduled for early January. In the document, excerpts of which were published by German newspapers, the right-wing party, which among other things fights uncontrolled immigration, repeated one of its campaign points in last summer’s European elections: “We believe it is necessary for Germany to leave the European Union, and a new European community would be created,” the AfD manifesto reads.

According to AfD leader Alice Weidel, “the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union was absolutely right,” so much so that it represented “a model for Germany.”

First, however, the party will try to reform the EU and address its “democratic deficit,” primarily by limiting the powers of the European Commission, which Weidel defines as “executive branch elected by no one.” But if reform is impossible, “if we cannot restore the sovereignty of European Union member states,” Weidel emphasized, “we must let the people decide, as Britain has done”

Instead of the EU, “an extremely bureaucratized and totally inefficient structure,” the AfD leader would like to create what she called Europe of Fatherlands (Europa der Vaterländer), an association of European states including a “common market” and an “economic community and interests.”

But the AfD also wants to pull Germany out of the single European currency, the euro, introduced in 2002, and replace it with what it calls a “transitional currency union.” To move toward Dexit, the AfD wants to organize a popular referendum in Germany. But actually leaving the EU won’t be that easy, given that Germany’s membership in the EU is part of the German constitution. If a hypothetical future German government led by the AfD were to announce Germany’s withdrawal from the European Union and proceed to “exit,” it would require a revision of the Basic Law and a vote supported by a two-thirds majority in the German parliament (Bundestag).