AfD politician Maximilian Krah wants to remain his party’s top candidate for the European elections despite the alleged espionage case in his office. Krah told journalists in Berlin on Wednesday morning after a conversation with AfD party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla that he fired the employee after the arrest warrant. “I am and will remain the top candidate,” emphasized Krah. “It’s now a matter of focusing the election campaign back on European issues and moving away from this very unpleasant matter.”
According to SZ information, however, there will be no election video with Krah, and the party also wants to forego printed election advertising with him. Apparently he will not appear in the European election campaign to the extent that was originally planned.
Krah also does not want to take part in the event to kick off the election campaign on Saturday in Donaueschingen. But he said he had no personal wrongdoing to accuse himself of. Apparently a crime was committed in his office. “It’s very unpleasant and it’s in my best interest to clear this up.” But it’s not like he did it. An arrest warrant has now been issued against Krah’s office employee who was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
Krah called the conversation with Weidel and Chrupalla very friendly and constructive, but appropriately serious for the matter. The two party leaders themselves initially did not want to comment when asked and referred to a statement planned later. The meeting in the AfD parliamentary group meeting room only lasted around 20 minutes. Krah then left the room alone.
He will remain in close contact with Weidel and Chrupalla. With regard to the employee, he said: “I am very interested in the clarification and will try to find out what exactly is being alleged. We will continue to work in my office to reconstruct everything that happened to him during the period in question was edited.”