AfD launches controversial youth organization Generation Germany” in Giessen

AfD launches controversial youth organization Generation Germany” in Giessen

Last weekend, the AfD reorganized its new youth organization in Giessen called “Generation Germany”. This start-up focuses on ambitious projects that aim to create structures nationwide. With a clear focus on organization and stability, the new members plan to develop regional approaches, as Adrian Maxhuni, now deputy chairman and from the Osnabrück-Land district association, puts it. He emphasizes that it takes a “good hand” to establish a powerful organization. Reinhild Goes and Julia Gehrkens, both from Lower Saxony, also play an important role on the board and bring their own ideals to the organization.

Maxhuni, who was previously chairman of the Junge Alternative Niedersachsen and is a trained electrical engineer, would like to quickly set up state and district associations. He sees the development of “structure, stability and effectiveness” as a necessity for the new youth association. Gehrkens, who has been a member of the AfD since 2022 and belongs to the women's group “Lukreta”, which has been described as “right-wing radical”, will act as an assessor on the federal executive board. Her group advocates for traditional family values ​​and gender roles. Reinhild Goes was elected deputy finance officer and therefore also holds an important position in the new organization. Ansgar Schledde, chairman of the AfD Lower Saxony, sees this step as crucial for the party.

A controversial start-up

The Lower Saxony Office for the Protection of the Constitution has already kept an eye on the new youth organization. He assesses it as potentially right-wing extremist and sees the restructuring as possibly a reaction to the threat of bans from the Interior Ministry. The warning voices from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution emphasize that radicalization takes place primarily via social media. Jean-Pascal Hohms is considered the first leader of the “Generation Germany”, but is classified as a right-wing extremist by the Brandenburg State Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Another cause for concern is the AfD's strong presence on social media, particularly through its younger members who are known for sending provocative messages.

The invitation list for the founding also included companies that produce eye-catching stickers, slogans and T-shirts. There is great interest: up to 1,900 interested people were expected at the founding in Giessen. Membership conditions have changed so that around 9,000 AfD members are now eligible to join, compared to just 2,500 in the previous “Junge Alternative”. These changes could indicate that the new organization wants to rely on a broad base in order to be able to survive in political competition.

Consequences for the present and future

The developments surrounding the “Generation Germany” show that the discourse about right-wing extremist tendencies in Germany is anything but over. The new company is being viewed critically by many and could be a harbinger of future social tensions. While the AfD is trying to reposition itself, the signs of radicalization on social media are on the agenda of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The old “Junge Alternative”, which was already classified as right-wing extremist, has found its successor organization by founding a new organization in which similar structures and content are expected.

With a clear goal in mind and a dynamic board, the AfD hopes to anchor its voice even more strongly among young people. But the shadows of the previous organization and the observations of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution will remain constant companions on this path.