AfD co-founder Gauland wants to run for the Bundestag after all

The co-founder and honorary chairman of the AfD, Alexander Gauland, apparently wants to run in the Bundestag elections after all, contrary to previous plans. A corresponding report by "Bild" was confirmed to dpa in party circles. Saxony's AfD General Secretary Jan Zwerg told the newspaper that Gauland would run for the direct mandate in his home town of Chemnitz.

The idea had originated in the Chemnitz district association and had been "happily acknowledged" by the AfD state association. As things stand, he will also be on the Saxon state list, which is to be elected on November 30 and December 1 in Löbau.

The 83-year-old is thus making a U-turn. "As an 85-year-old, I don't think I'm still really in parliament," he told Die Welt at the beginning of October. Gauland has been a member of the Bundestag since 2017 and was chairman of his parliamentary group until 2021. He most recently entered parliament via the Brandenburg state list. With a view to the original election date in September 2025, Gauland told Die Welt: "Unless something extraordinary happens, that will be the end of my parliamentary career."