Young alternative resolution: AfD introduces new youth organization

Young alternative resolution: AfD introduces new youth organization

The young alternative (yes), the youth organization of the alternative for Germany (AfD), will be dissolved on March 31, 2025. This decision was made at a federal congress in Apolda, in which around 250 members took part. Events around the congress were accompanied by protests in which around 1,300 people, among them union representatives and the "Grandma's against Right" initiative, demonstrated against the meeting. This dissolution was confirmed by Martin Kohler, the head of the Berlin YES, and other JA representatives. The AfD federal executive also decided to establish a new, closer to the party.

The decision to dissolve the yes was not without reason. The organization had been classified by the constitutional protection as "secure extremist", which leaded to serious concerns that the Federal Ministry of the Interior could strive for a ban on the right to association. To prevent this, the JA chairman Hannes Gnauck actively campaigned for the resolution. The new youth organization is to become a legally independent part of the AfD, with membership in the party in future being a prerequisite for access to the youth organization, with the exception of young people under 16 years.

changes in the articles of association and future orientation

With the dissolution of the yes, the AfD statutes are also changed on April 1, 2025. The name "Junge Alternative" is deleted from the statutes, even if a recovery of the name remains possible. All AfD members under the age of 36 are invited to take part in a founding congress in order to determine a new statute and a new name for the youth organization. The Federal Executive Board suggests the name "Patriotic Youth".

The new youth organization will also be under strict control of the federal board. Unlike in the previous statutes, in which they enjoyed a statutory, program, finance and personnel autonomy, the new youth statute of the organization will need the approval of the Federal Executive Board. In addition, future members of the youth organization have to be AfD members, with young people under the age of 16 recognize the statutes and principles of the AfD and have to submit to the party's arbitration.

protests and social resistance

The Federal Congress in Apolda did not take place without resistance. An online petition against the rental of the town hall to the yes reached over 94,000 signatories. The protests before the congress show that the youth organization comes across a wide -ranging rejection in society. The AfD tries to control its content and structures more and to minimize risks that result from the extremist assessments.

These developments are in the context of a wider spectrum of youth organizations in Germany. In addition to party political youth associations, there are a variety of organizations that represent different interests, including the union jugs in the DGB or groups such as left -wing youth [’Solid] and Green Youth, which also play an important role in the political youth field. The future development of the “patriotic youth” therefore remains important not only within the AfD, but also in political competition and social reactions.

Further information about the restructuring in the AfD and the young alternative can be found in the detailed reports from Remszeitung and the mdr . Information about other youth organizations in Germany can be found in the wikipedia