Germany's far-right AfD party held its national congress in Erfurt this weekend, re-electing both co-chairs and openly d...

Germany's far-right AfD party held its national congress in Erfurt this weekend, re-electing both co-chairs and openly declaring their intention to govern. Co-chair Tino Chrupalla, a painter and decorator by trade, won 70.05% of the delegate vote, down from his result two years ago. Alice Weidel secured 81.3%, up from 79.8%, and delivered the speech that brought delegates to their feet. Weidel went after Chancellor Merz by name, calling him a "Vivaldi among heads of government" who announces a new round of reforms with every changing season, drums loudly, then quietly drops the promises. The line that drew the loudest applause came when she declared, voice raised: "We will deport, strictly and consistently." She turned to protesters gathered outside the venue and told them the opposition was only making AfD stronger and bigger. Chrupalla was equally blunt about what the party wants next. "We want to govern," he told delegates. He pointed to September's state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where AfD is polling close to 40%, as the first step toward forming what would be Germany's first far-right state government since the war. The party has reportedly already begun planning sweeping changes across education, cultural institutions, and the civil service. Tens of thousands of protesters descended on Erfurt from across Germany, organized by unions, political parties, and civic groups. They did not block the congress. Delegates were bused in from the early hours of the first morning to avoid confrontations, with others arriving on foot or under police escort. There was one moment nobody could explain at first. During the vote for party vice-chairs, the Imperial March from Star Wars played through the hall for 15 minutes before technicians found Bluetooth speakers hidden behind a curtain. Nobody claimed responsibility. The symbolism was hard to miss. #AfD #Germany #GermanPolitics