Germany’s far-right AfD rejects limits on Russia travel by MPs

Delegates at the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) party conference on Sunday rejected a proposal to put stricter rules on foreign travel and interviews with foreign media for politicians with the far-right party.

The proposal for stricter rules, put forward by several delegates, comes after extensive negative media attention involving travel to Russia and appearances on Russian state media by AfD politicians who have voiced admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Florian Köhler, an AfD member of the Bavarian state parliament and supporter of the motion, criticized “visits to regional dictators or autocrats” and said the party should focus more on the German homeland in order to avoid being perceived by voters as vicarious agents of foreign states.

The rules would have required AfD members of parliament to consult with party leadership before giving interviews to foreign media, meeting foreign leaders abroad or taking trips “with a political connection.”

The motion also referred to the AfD’s scandal-plagued top candidate in the recent European Parliament elections, Maximilian Krah.

The AfD was kicked out of the right-wing Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament after Krah made highly controversial comments defending members of the Nazi SS paramilitary in an interview with an Italian newspaper.