The Landtag MEP Thomas Röckemann is new national spokesman for AfD in North Rhine-Westphalia. The National Party congress in Kalkar on Lower Rhine chose 52-year-old to be one of two heads of State, as AfD-National Association on Twitter shared. Co-country spokesman next to Röckemann was Landtag Bundestag group vice Jörg Soaps. The former national spokesman Martin Renner was no longer elected. He has been sitting in Bundestag since Bundestag election. Racers co-chairman Marcus Pretzell had left party after election.

Röckemann is associated with national conservative wing of party: In May 2016 he appeared at an event with Thuringian AfD nationalist Björn Höcke.

The AfD National Association in North Rhine-Westphalia has been in turmoil for some time. About two months ago, Pretzell was first withdrawn from Landtag faction and subsequently also from AfD. Frank Neppe and Bundestag group vice-President Alexander Langguth left group and party with him. Pretzell is married to ex-AfD federal spokeswoman Frauke Petry, who has also withdrawn from party.

Originally, Party congress of NRW-AfD had already been held in mid-October. The National association, however, said event on grounds that re were indications that " black block or aggressive Antifa groups" could mingle with peaceful demonstrators. Renner said at time that police had indicated "between lines" that y could not guarantee security. The police had objected to this. Several alliances had announced demonstrations with up to 1,500 participants.

At party congress of AfD in Rhineland-Palatinate, former head of state Uwe Junge was confirmed in office. The 60-year-old received almost 75 percent of vote in Bingen on Rhine and thus much less than two years ago. According to his own information, Junge was 34 years in CDU and eight months in party "Freedom", which was observed in Bavaria by protection of Constitution.

Date Of Update: 10 December 2017, 12:02