Germany's AfD party considers softening stance on EU membership

Members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) are considering a significant shift in the party’s long-standing opposition to the European Union and the euro. A strategy paper, which was discussed at a meeting last month, outlines a proposal to move away from the party’s foundational stance of advocating for the dissolution of the currency union or a complete withdrawal from the bloc.

The AfD was established in 2013 primarily as a response to euro zone bailout policies. Since its inception, the party has maintained a platform centered on skepticism toward European integration. The new document suggests a pivot toward seeking a wholesale renegotiation of EU treaties, with the goal of transforming the bloc into a looser alliance of sovereign nations.

Under the proposed strategy, the party would seek national opt-outs from specific areas of EU governance, including migration, fiscal policy, and the issuance of joint debt. The paper does not fundamentally oppose the continued use of the euro currency, marking a departure from the party's historical position.

The strategy document specifies that if efforts to renegotiate EU treaties prove unsuccessful, the party should pursue a referendum on Germany’s membership in the union. This contingency plan maintains a degree of skepticism toward the current structure of the bloc while shifting the immediate focus toward reform.

The paper was drafted by a group of AfD lawmakers representing the European Parliament, the German Bundestag, and various state parliaments. Any formal change to the party’s decade-old policy platform would require approval at a party convention scheduled for next year.

Peter Boehringer, the AfD’s parliamentary spokesman on European affairs and a prominent critic of the euro, has rejected the characterization that the document represents a policy reversal. He maintains that the proposal to renegotiate treaties remains consistent with the party's broader goals regarding national sovereignty.