Fears are palpable in the government camp that the new party could cost black-yellow its victory in the federal election. Government spokesman steffen seibert said that the euro had secured income and employment for millions of people in germany. "Whoever jeopardizes that, jeopardizes prosperity, jobs and social security."
The afd had founded itself as a party on sunday. In her election platform, she calls for an "orderly dissolution of the euro zone". Grunen chairwoman claudia roth told rbb radio: "out of the euro, back to the deutschmark – this nostalgia for the nation state is damaging above all to germany, it is damaging above all to german interests."In the federal election, the alternative will mainly take votes away from the coalition parties, where there is already a lot of criticism of the euro.
Thuringia’s minister president christine lieberknecht (CDU), on the other hand, does not see the anti-euro party as a real threat to the union. "Leaving the euro is simply not an alternative, and i don’t see a renaissance of nation states in europe either," lieberknecht said. CDU politician wolfgang bosbach, who is critical of the euro, warned on MDR radio against damonizing the new party. The afd is located in the political center and is therefore a political competitor. But he doesn’t think it has a realistic chance of winning the federal elections.
FDP faction leader rainer bruderle told the "rheinische post" that he wants to deal with the euro critics in terms of content and arguments. "It’s not enough to be "alternative" to name a few, if you don’t offer solutions and answers for the future of europe."
Left-wing party leader bernd riexinger warns against new grouping. "This is currently the most dangerous party on the right-wing fringe," riexinger told the "welt" newspaper. He spoke of an "association of well-paid professors that not only wants to abolish the euro, but also the welfare state."