BERLIN — Members of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are considering a modification of their longstanding opposition to the European Union and the euro, according to a strategy paper reviewed by Reuters. The proposal suggests a shift from the AfD’s original stance, which called for Germany to leave the eurozone or the European Union altogether.
Founded in 2013 amid opposition to eurozone bailout policies, the AfD has consistently advocated for Germany’s exit from the currency union or even the EU itself. However, the new paper, reportedly discussed at a party meeting last month, calls for ambitious renegotiations of EU treaties aimed at transforming the bloc into a looser coalition of sovereign states. Should these negotiations fail, the party proposes holding a referendum on Germany’s continued membership in the EU.
The document also recommends that Germany seek opt-outs in critical policy areas such as migration, fiscal policy, and jointly issued EU debt, while notably not opposing the euro as a currency in principle. The paper was jointly prepared by AfD representatives from the European Parliament, the Bundestag, and various state parliaments. Any formal change to the party’s decade-old platform would require approval at the AfD’s party convention scheduled for next year.
Peter Boehringer, the AfD parliamentary spokesman on European affairs and a longtime critic of the euro, rejected claims that the paper marked a reversal in policy. He described the document as a strategic implementation of the party’s longstanding efforts to renegotiate EU treaties and pursue a potential German withdrawal in the future rather than signaling a shift in approach.
The current AfD program continues to call for Germany’s departure from the euro and envisions replacing the existing EU framework with a new arrangement. Since the 2015 migration influx, the party has expanded its support by focusing heavily on anti-immigration rhetoric, helping it secure electoral gains, including a recent success in Saxony-Anhalt.
Despite finishing second in last year’s federal election behind Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc, the AfD remains excluded from government participation as mainstream parties refuse cooperation. Germany’s domestic intelligence service has labeled the AfD as exhibiting right-wing extremist tendencies, a characterization the party disputes.
In recent remarks, party co-leader Alice Weidel characterized the euro as a “soft currency” but stopped short of explicitly endorsing a German exit from the currency union. The evolving internal debate within the AfD highlights ongoing tensions as the party weighs how best to position itself on Europe amidst shifting political dynamics.