Espionage allegations against employees: Uncomfortable questions for the AfD

A Chinese spy in the AfD environment? An unpleasant accusation for a party that claims to represent German interests. The party leaders summoned Europe’s leading candidate Krah after his employee was arrested.

There was cheering, back in the summer in Magdeburg. Maximilian Krah had just been named the top candidate for the European elections. But quite a few in the AfD – even at the top – have never made any effort to hide what they think of this election: not much. It was like a premonition: the candidate Krah could make for bad headlines.

That’s how it happened. The AfD reached its peak on Tuesday morning – the news that one of Krah’s employees had been arrested. The man with Chinese roots is suspected of espionage. He is said to have passed on information to China.

Krah only commented in writing: He learned about the allegations from the media and if they were true, the employment relationship would be terminated immediately. Krah would also like to end the debate and avoid the questions. But that doesn’t work anymore. The party leadership summons him to Berlin.

Always China

At a press conference, the chairmen talk for minutes about what they see as bad traffic light policy, energy issues and citizens’ money. They know that the question of the top candidate will come. “We see this as absolutely worrying,” says Tino Chrupalla tight-lipped. That’s it. The party leadership refers to the conversation with Krah when he reaches Berlin at some point after his long journey from Strasbourg.

Always China. The questions are not new. Of course he was in China, Maximilian Krah laughed into the microphone just a few days ago on “Jung und naiv”, a YouTube format. He has many friends and of course has not spoken to the secret service.

Krah downplays the fact that he had his hotel and train journey paid for: “One train ticket and three business hotels. So what. What are those, 400 euros, 500 euros?” Krah says he stated everything and represented German interests. Everything else – as he says there – is a campaign. And his voters would see through it.

“This is treason”

Campaign before the election – that is a common AfD narrative. But can this be maintained? The headlines about China are a problem for the party, which always puts Germany first. Credibility is damaged, says political scientist Wolfgang Schröder from the University of Kassel – “because on the one hand you cannot claim that you represent German interests and on the other hand trample on these interests in the clumsiest, simplest way . And passing it on to others is treason.”

Betrayal – a strong accusation that keeps coming. Are AfD politicians corruptible? Are they acting on behalf of Russia or China? Krah recently had to admit that he had been questioned by the FBI – the federal police – in the USA. It was about chat messages and the suspicion of having received money – money from the pro-Russian environment. Krah denies this, as does Petr Bystron – who is in second place on the European list and stood out in the Bundestag with statements like these:

What to do with a view to the European elections?

Are these Russian narratives in the Bundestag? And was there money for it? The party leader only backed Krah and Bystron at the weekend. As long as there is no evidence on the table. But Chrupalla also makes it clear to Caren Miosga what would happen if there is any truth to the allegations: “The consequences are very clear that such people have no place in our party.”

This means that anyone who allows themselves to be controlled by Russia or China will be thrown out of the party. But that would take time and would not be possible until the European elections at the beginning of June. Removing Krah and Bystron – the first two places from the list – would be impossible. There are only a few exceptions. For example, if the candidate dies or is no longer eligible to vote due to a judgment, the list can be changed.

In an emergency, the AfD had few options. She could probably just ban them both from posters or the campaign stages. This is also why the party is trying to take on the usual role – like Parliamentary Managing Director Bernd Baumann, who is trying to badmouth the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. “Of course we’re looking into it,” he says – but the allegations “could be true, they could be fabricated. It could be anything.”

Concern is palpable

Few in the AfD want to talk about Krah. The concern is palpable. But also esprit de corps. Still. MP Stefan Keuter says: “We are the party of German interests. And we definitely wouldn’t do something like that.” And his colleague Martin Sichert emphasizes: “As long as we don’t have hard facts and evidence, the ranks in the AfD will remain closed.”

Political scientist Schröder expects further revelations. “This party is not only a threat to democracy, but also to the specific security situation.” The AfD does not act in the interests of the Germans. These are harsh accusations and questions. Especially to the top European candidate Maximilian Krah – when he is summoned to the party leaders.