Withdrawal of the Main Candidate of Germany's Far-Right Party from the European Parliament Elections

The main candidate of the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) in the European Parliament elections withdrew from the campaign following a controversial statement regarding the "SS," the Nazi German paramilitary force. Maximilian Kra announced on Wednesday, May 23, in a statement that he would step down from the senior leadership team of the Alternative for Germany party and would not participate in the party's election meetings. The recent controversy was a reaction to Mr. Kra's interview with the Italian newspaper "La Repubblica," in which he stated, "Not all SS forces were criminals and offenders." The "SS" was the paramilitary force of the Nazi Party in Germany, playing a decisive role in war crimes and crimes against humanity during World War II, including the genocide of Jews. Marine Le Pen, leader of the "National Rally" in France, a party with strong nationalist tendencies and an ally of other far-right parties in Europe, announced that her party would sever ties with the Alternative for Germany and would no longer collaborate with this party in the European Parliament. Recent polls indicate that voter support for the Alternative for Germany remains at an unprecedented level. A significant portion of German voters is expected to vote for this party's candidates in the European Parliament elections as a punishment for moderate parties due to dissatisfaction with inflation, immigration issues, and the state of housing and public medical services. Despite a decrease in support for the Alternative for Germany in recent weeks, it appears that this party ranks second in terms of attracting votes. In another part of his statement, Maximilian Kra added, "My comments are being used as an excuse to harm our party. Discussions should not focus on me right now. The Alternative for Germany must maintain its unity." The leadership of this party has not yet officially commented on this incident and Mr. Kra's withdrawal. It seems that Mr. Kra's remarks, which are perceived as justifying the war crimes of Nazi Germany, have overflowed the patience of the leaders of the National Rally. Meanwhile, earlier in May, the German prosecutor's office announced that the police had arrested Jian Gao, one of Mr. Kra's assistants, on charges of "special acute case" espionage for China. Marine Le Pen stated in an interview with "Europe-1" radio on Wednesday, "We must quickly create a safety barrier against the Alternative for Germany. They continue to make provocative statements. In the current situation, distancing from this party is no longer sufficient; we must cut all ties with this movement." According to experts, the severing of relations between these two parties, which are among the most important forces of far-right or extreme nationalism in Europe, occurs after the remarks and behavior of several leaders of the Alternative for Germany have come under scrutiny in recent months. The severing of ties between the National Rally and the Alternative for Germany could be an important gauge of the success of far-right parties in the European Parliament elections and simultaneously increase pressure on this party in German domestic politics. A day before this incident, the National Rally, which is leading in polls related to the European Parliament elections, announced that it would no longer collaborate with the Alternative for Germany in a single faction in the European Parliament.