AfD retracts false flyer after legal defeat over extremist meeting claims
A local AfD branch in Erlangen has withdrawn a controversial campaign flyer after legal pressure. The material falsely claimed that court rulings had disproved CORRECTIV's investigation into far-right extremist plans. Party officials now admit the flyer contained poorly researched statements.
The dispute centres on a 2023 meeting in Potsdam where extremist figures allegedly discussed mass deportations. While the AfD denies endorsing specific proposals, its politicians have repeatedly called for 'remigration on a scale of millions'.
The flyer, distributed by AfD Erlangen, described CORRECTIV's findings as a 'Potsdam fairy tale'. It also declared that if the allegations were true, the party would not stand for election. These claims directly contradicted court rulings, which upheld the core facts of the investigation.
A Hamburg Regional Court confirmed that the AfD had failed to disprove any of CORRECTIV's statements about the 2023 meeting. Despite this, the party continues to deny, downplay, and attack the reporting on a national level. Robert Aust, the AfD's district chair in Erlangen, admitted the flyer was poorly researched and worded. The local branch chair later signed a cease-and-desist declaration, forcing the party to pulp all remaining copies. The incident has also triggered internal debates within the AfD over its messaging strategy. While the party's platform includes the term 'remigration', it does not explicitly back the detailed plans discussed in Potsdam. However, prominent AfD figures have publicly advocated for large-scale deportations in the past.
The AfD's Erlangen branch has now destroyed the flyer and halted its distribution. Legal action confirmed that CORRECTIV's reporting on the Potsdam meeting remains factually accurate. The case highlights ongoing tensions between the party's public statements and its internal divisions over extremist links.
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