Overview
- The AfD’s North Rhine–Westphalia party court expelled Alexander Eichwald on Saturday, upholding his earlier loss of membership rights.
- Eichwald skipped the hearing and can appeal to the AfD’s federal arbitration court and then to regular courts.
- The Herford district branch filed the case and had already removed him from its city council group, citing severely party-damaging behavior and Nazi rhetoric.
- The case stems from a late November speech at the Gießen launch of the AfD youth group Generation Deutschland, where his tone, gestures and rolling R echoed Hitler and drew laughter, boos and online debate.
- The outcome points to tighter oversight of the new youth wing and a drive to contain reputational damage in Germany, where Nazi-style language carries heavy political consequences.