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Freia Lippold-Eggen warns against the AfD: “The Nazis in the party no longer bother people”
Ex-AfD city councilor Freia Lippold-Eggen
© parliamentwatch.de
Three days ago, Freia Lippold-Eggen was still an AfD member, now she settles accounts with her former party colleagues. She warns of the right-wing radicals in the party.
By Johanna Hausman
Ms. Lippold-Eggen, you have been here since 2017 AfD member, did politics in Bad Kissingen as city councilor for the AfD. Why have you left the party now?
The decisive point was that we in our district association were infiltrated by the secured right-wing extremist Junge Alternative (JA) and were thus disempowered as a district association. The goal was probably to have one of their radical candidates put up for the Bavarian state elections in as many constituencies as possible.
Why have you only now left the AfD? Björn Höcke, for example, has long been considered a right-wing extremist, you can call him a fascist.
I joined the party at the time to criticize Angela Merkel’s euro policy. And I stayed in the party because I thought this right-wing extremism is far away from us here in Bad Kissingen. But we have now experienced this infiltration first hand. It’s just not far away. A crucial point for me was that Björn Höcke said on stage at an event in Erfurt in the spring that he was still committed to the right-wing extremist Junge Alternative. It was clear to me that he would not be misunderstood, but was actually a right-wing extremist.
© serienlicht / Imago Images
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Have you never noticed that in your district association?
For a long time, the municipalities were not particularly interesting for the AfD. There’s not much to be gained there, not financially, and not much fame and glory either. There is work to be done. That’s why the high party officials let us do it for a long time at the local level. That is changing now.
With the upcoming state elections in Bavaria.
Yes,now the national association wants to get involved in order to bring the people into parliament who represent the right line. That’s been the strategy since last fall, and it’s being pursued with radical means. At the municipal level, the right-wing extremists in particular were understaffed, which is why there was so little activity there. But now they are spreading further. That is new.
And do they succeed?
It’s much, much easier for right-wing parties these days, even in towns and cities. The more dissatisfied people are, the more support the AfD receives.
How did you notice that when you were still in the party?
In 2018, every second person called us Nazis. It was really difficult to campaign there. Today, when there really are Nazis in the party, that no longer seems to bother many. People pat you on the back and say, “Oh, it’s great that you’re here!” But we’re not the same anymore. The other day I replied: “I’m sorry that you want radical solutions now, but I won’t radicalize myself for you.”
The AfD promises simple solutions to this dissatisfaction.
I don’t know of any solutions. This was last seen at the EU party conference. It’s about positions, money and power, nothing else.
The chairman of the AfD district association in Lower Franconia, Richard Graupner, accuses you of a smear campaign. What do you think?
Richard Graupner claims I’m frustrated because I wanted to run for a different constituency in the state election. That is not right. I felt threatened by the far-right wing and that’s why I didn’t stand for election.
Do you know other party members who are also considering leaving?
Many are considering that, but God has set limits between talking and doing. For me it is clear: whoever is silent agrees.