Overview
- Author: Sonja Issel
- Source: Euronews
- Date: 30.11.2025
- Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Summary
At the founding congress of the new AfD youth organization in Giessen, a candidate named Alexander Eichwald delivered a speech that strongly resembled Adolf Hitler in tone and wording. The AfD federal executive board announced a review of his membership, while party leadership is already showing distance from the youth organization.
- Around 840 participants were present at the AfD youth congress in Giessen
- Eichwald spoke with a rolling "R" about "party comrades" and the "national duty to protect German culture from foreign influences"
- Delegates in the hall suspected a provocation and asked whether Eichwald was an undercover agent of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution
- Eichwald confirmed to dpa that his speech was meant seriously
- AfD leader Chrupalla stated that Eichwald had "distanced himself from the party's principles," the federal executive board is reviewing his membership and rights
- Chrupalla also placed the new youth leader Jean-Pascal Hohm "on probation" after he used the term "population replacement"
- The Office for the Protection of the Constitution is initially monitoring the new youth organization but does not automatically classify it as a suspected case
Opportunities and Risks
Opportunities:
- Clear distancing by the federal executive board could publicly signal responsibility
- Review of membership shows internally existing red lines
- Founding of the new youth organization theoretically offers chance for reorientation
Risks:
- Eichwald's appearance burdens the party at the start of the federal election campaign
- Restraint towards their own youth organization shows lack of control
- Repetition of earlier JA scandals indicates structural problems
- Terms like "population replacement" normalize far-right narratives
Future Outlook
Short-term (1 year): The new youth organization will be closely monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Party leadership must repeatedly distance itself or risk further reputational damage during the election campaign.
Medium-term (5 years): The question of whether the AfD can control its youth organization becomes a litmus test for democratic containment. Either hard expulsions follow or the party accepts increasingly extreme positions.
Long-term (10–20 years): The normalization of far-right language and symbolism in youth organizations endangers democratic culture. A generation grows up for whom such appearances are either normal or a reason for permanent vigilance.
Fact Check
Well documented:
- Eichwald's appearance is documented on video
- Chrupalla's reaction and announcement of the review are available
- The use of the term "population replacement" by Hohm is confirmed
- Participant number of around 840 people
Data gaps:
- Eichwald's exact membership history and motivation remain unclear
- Result of the announced review is still pending
- No information about possible consequences for other speakers
- Internal reactions of delegates captured only anecdotally
Brief Conclusion
The founding congress of the new AfD youth organization begins with a scandal reminiscent of Germany's darkest history. The restrained reaction of party leadership shows they are either unwilling or unable to draw clear boundaries. This is a warning signal for democratic stability and demands increased vigilance from the public and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Three Key Questions
Freedom: How can a democracy deal with a party that acts formally legally but whose youth openly work with fascist symbolism and rhetoric?
Responsibility: Why does the AfD leadership distance itself only half-heartedly and place its youth leader "on probation" instead of drawing and enforcing clear boundaries?
Transparency: What results will the announced membership review deliver, and will the party communicate these publicly or handle them internally?