German Far-Right Criticizes EU as European Parliament Elections Approach

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) declared the European Union a "failed project" at its party convention in Magdeburg, Germany, adopting its program for the upcoming European Parliament election. While the party stopped short of demanding Germany's exit from the EU, it called for the EU to be re-founded as a "federation of European nations." The program emphasizes the protection of external borders, strategic autonomy in security policy, and the preservation of "different identities" in Europe. Recent polls show support for the AfD at 19-22%, and the party has recently won elections in eastern Germany. The convention also finalized the AfD's list of candidates for the European Parliament election.