AfD links to Austrian far-right ‘final straw’ for ECR MEPs

The European Parliament's ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists) group voted on 8 March 2016 to kick out Germany's AfD (Alternative for Germany) party, after it was known the links between this party's and Austria's Freedom Party (FPÖ).

AfD's leader Beatrix Von Storch blamed the decision to expel the party on a deal between British Prime Minister David Cameron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the run-up to important regional elections in Germany. The United Kingdom's Conservative Party is one of the main parties within the ECR group.

AfD's future within the European Parliament was not clear yet.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: German state elections: Success for right-wing AfD, losses for Merkel's CDU http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-state-elections-success-for-right-wing-afd-losses-for-merkels-cdu/

ESO: Background information: Cameron's group challenges liberals as kingmakers in new Parliament http://www.europeansources.info/record/camerons-group-challenges-liberals-as-kingmakers-in-new-parliament-german-anti-euro-party-joins-tories-in-eu-parliament/

Politico, 08.03.16: ECR group kicks out German far-right MEPs http://www.politico.eu/article/ecr-afd-von-storch-pretzell-two-members-of-german-far-right-party-asked-to-leave-voluntarily/

EUObserver, 09.03.16: EU parliament group tells German AfD party to leave https://euobserver.com/political/132619

Politico, 10.03.16: Far-right German MEP: ‘I’m going nowhere’ http://www.politico.eu/article/far-right-german-mep-im-going-nowhere-vonstorch-ecr-afd-pretzell-farage-lepen/

Deutsche Welle, 09.03.16: AfD rails against expulsion from Cameron's European alliance http://dw.com/p/1IA1w

The Guardian, 08.03.16: Tory MEPs distance themselves from German rightwing party http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/08/tory-meps-distance-themselves-from-german-rightwing-party

Politico, 17.03.16: Far-right MEPs make the case for staying in ECR group http://www.politico.eu/article/afd-far-right-meps-beatrix-von-storch-marcus-pretzell-make-the-case-for-staying-in-ecr-group-alfa/

EUObserver, 08.04.16: Right-wing German MEP quits parliament group https://euobserver.com/political/132982

EUObserver, 13.04.16: German AfD member expelled from EU parliament group https://euobserver.com/political/133028

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