Germany's AfD wants to build 'Fortress Europe' with partners

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party should cooperate with like-minded parties in the European Parliament to halt irregular migration, the party's co-leader has said.

"We need Fortress Europe to protect our homeland, and we do that together with our European partners," Alice Weidel told some 600 delegates in the central city of Magdeburg on Saturday, where the election of the AfD's leading candidate for the European elections on June 9, 2024, was due to begin at noon.

Weidel had helped ensure that a motion by supporters of Germany leaving the European Union was denied at a national party conference the previous day, during a debate on the AfD delegation joining the Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament.

On Saturday, she said the EU was deeply undemocratic and encroaching, interfering in private life arrangements and business arrangements.

A proposal by the party's executive committee was adopted by a large majority on Saturday morning: Contrary to the original plan, the candidates for the European elections would be nominated first and the election programme would only be decided afterwards.

The concerns of one delegate, who argued that the programme and the candidates had to fit together, found little resonance. It is expected that the election of candidates will take place over several days.

On Sunday, the meeting is due to be interrupted and then continued on Friday.