Der Flügel

The Wing
Der Flügel
LeaderBjörn Höcke
FoundersBjörn Höcke, André Poggenburg
Founded14 March 2015
Dissolved30 April 2020
Membership7,000
Ideology
Political positionFar-right
National affiliationAlternative for Germany
Colors
  •   Light blue
  •   Red
Website
www.derfluegel.de (archived)

Der Flügel (German: [deːɐ̯ fly:gel]; lit. 'The Wing') was a far-right ultra-nationalist[1] faction of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. It was founded by Björn Höcke in the state of Thuringia on 14 March 2015.[3][4] It was reportedly the most radical faction of AfD, and Germany's domestic intelligence agency placed it under "formal surveillance" due to its alleged right-wing extremism in 2020.[4] It ceased to exist the same year, after the executive committee of the AfD voted to dissolve it on 30 April 2020.[5][3] After its dissolution, its founder and leader Höcke made a video on Facebook confirming that it no longer exists.[6]

History

AfD members in the eastern states of the former East Germany adopted a hard right-wing ideology primarily focused against Islamic migrants to act as a counterweight to the liberal wing of Bernd Lucke which sought the party to focus on Atlanticism.[2] Der Flügel was formally founded in 2015 by Björn Höcke, party leader in Thurngia, and André Poggenburg, party leader in Saxony-Anhalt and adopted a Volkish line, calling for the AfD to be the guardians of the Volksgemeinschaft.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Davidson-Schmich, Louise K.; Campbell, Ross, eds. (14 December 2023). The 2021 German Federal Election. Springer International Publishing. The second wing of the AfD is an ultra-nationalist faction known as Der Flügel ('The Wing'), whose influence is far more pronounced in eastern Germany and eastern state party organisations.
  2. ^ a b c Häusler, Alexander. "Die AfD: Werdegang und Wesensmerkmale einer Rechtsaußenpartei". Federal Agency for Civic Education. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Völkisch-nationalist group of people within the Alternative for Germany (AfD), formerly "Flügel"". Ministerium des Innern des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b Oltermann, Philip (12 March 2020). "German spy agency puts part of far-right AfD under surveillance". The Guardian.
  5. ^ "Germany's far-right AfD to dissolve extreme faction". Deutsche Welle. 3 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Die Gruppe: Der Flügel von der Partei AfD gibt es nicht mehr" [The group: The Wing of the AfD party no longer exists]. MDR. 28 April 2020.
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