Alliance for Progress and Renewal

Alliance for Progress and Renewal
Allianz für Fortschritt und Aufbruch
Abbreviation ALFA
Chairman Bernd Lucke
Founded 19 July 2015
Split from Alternative for Germany
Membership  (2015) 2,000
Ideology Euroscepticism
Economic liberalism
Liberal conservatism
Political position Centre-right
European affiliation Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists
International affiliation None
European Parliament group European Conservatives and Reformists
Bundestag
0 / 631
State Parliaments
3 / 1,857
European Parliament
5 / 96
Website
alfa-bund.de

The Alliance for Progress and Renewal (German: Allianz für Fortschritt und Aufbruch, ALFA) is a Eurosceptic political party in Germany. The party was established on 19 July 2015 in Kassel, Hesse, as a split from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) led by former AfD spokesman Bernd Lucke.[1][2][3] ALFA is represented by five MEPs in the European Parliament (as members of the European Conservatives and Reformists group) and three members of the Bürgerschaft of Bremen due to their formal withdrawal from the AfD.

History

ALFA was founded on 19 July 2015 at a closed inaugural meeting of 70 people in Kassel, Hesse where statutes and a party platform were approved and Bernd Lucke MEP was elected chairman.[2][4] Also selected as its foundation were its deputy chairmen was Bernd Kölmel MEP, Gunther Nickel and Reiner Rohlje, and the general secretary Ulrike Trebesius MEP.[5]

The party founding was preceded by months of power struggle between Bernd Lucke and Frauke Petry for AfD party leadership, the latter being leader of the party's national-conservative wing.[6] In the course of the dispute Lucke and leading AfD members with liberal-conservative and economic liberal orientations founded the association Weckruf 2015 out of concern for a perceived right-wing populist tendency in the AfD. At an extraordinary party convention in Essen on 4 July 2015, Lucke was defeated in the election for chairman by his opponent Petry, who received 60% of the vote.[7] The following week, 5 AfD MEPs exited the party on 7 July 2015, and Lucke announced his resignation from the party on 8 July,[8][9] leading to the formation of the ALFA party. It has been estimated that 20% percent of the then AfD membership moved to ALFA with Lucke.[10] Alfa Romeo the Italian car manufacturer's German subsidiary is reported as considering taking legal action against the party over the use of the party acronym ALFA.[11]

On 18 March 2016, ALFA was admitted into the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists.[12]

Ideology

The party calls for a Greek exit from the eurozone ("Grexit") or Germany’s withdrawal from membership in the Euro currency and a return to national currencies. The party also criticises the low-, zero- and negative-interest policies of the European Central Bank.[13] The ALFA programme corresponds to large parts of the AfD programme. However, by contrast it emphasises Western alignment with NATO as the foundation of a transatlantic security structure. ALFA favors free trade in general and under certain conditions the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). It supports immigration of suitably qualified candidates on the Canadian Model.

Hans-Olaf Henkel has stated that since the party split from the AfD in July 2015 that the media no longer take notice of the party, stating it will be a "challenge" for the 5 Alfa MEPs to be re-elected in 2019.[14] Henkel who will be 79 in 2019, does not plan to stand for election again.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Ex-chief of German anti-euro party starts new eurosceptic group". Yahoo News. 19 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Germany's ex-AfD leader sets up new eurosceptic party". Reuters UK.
  3. ↑ SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany (19 July 2015). "ALFA: AfD-Gründer Bernd Lucke gründet neue Partei". SPIEGEL ONLINE.
  4. ↑ "German Eurosceptic leader Lucke sets up Alfa party". BBC News.
  5. ↑ "Bernd Lucke als Chef: AfD-Abtrünnige gründen neue Partei "Alfa"". handelsblatt.com.
  6. ↑ "Ousted chief of Germany′s euroskeptic AfD sets up new political party - News - DW.COM - 19.07.2015". DW.COM.
  7. ↑ "Germany's euroskeptic AfD elects conservative leader Petry". Deutsche Welle. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Nach "Richtungsentscheidung" AfD meldet Hunderte Austritte" (in German). N-TV. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Barkin, Noah (8 July 2015). "German AfD founder leaves party decrying xenophobic shift". Reuters. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  10. ↑ Scholz, KayAlexander (28 November 2015). "AfD upbraids Merkel, migrants at Hanover party congress". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Hill, Jenny (21 July 2015). "What next for Germany's Eurosceptic AfD party?". BBC News. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  12. ↑ http://www.aecr.eu/aecr-welcomes-m10-and-alfa-as-new-members/
  13. ↑ Party program (in German) retrieved on 20 July 2015
  14. 1 2 Teffer, Peter (30 October 2015). "Germany's anti-euro party which became two". euobserver. Retrieved 13 November 2015.

External links

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