section_path: Organisation/International affiliation and relations
section_name: International affiliation and relations
paragraph_text: International affiliation and relations
  
  Following the 2014 European Parliament election on 12 June, AfD was accepted into the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament. In February 2016, AfD announced a closer cooperation with the right-wing populist party Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which was a member of the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group. On 8 March 2016, the bureau of the ECR group began motions to exclude AfD MEPs from their group due to the party's links with the far-right FPÖ and controversial remarks by two party leaders about shooting immigrants. MEP Beatrix von Storch pre-empted her imminent expulsion by leaving the ECR group to join the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group on 8 April, and Marcus Pretzell was expelled from the ECR group on 12 April 2016. During the party convention on 30 April 2016, Pretzell announced his intention to join the Europe of Nations and Freedom group, although he subsequently left AfD to join Petry's Blue Party.
  
  In April 2019, Jörg Meuthen appeared alongside Northern League leader Matteo Salvini, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, and politicians from the Danish People's Party and FPÖ to announce the formation of a new European political alliance. AfD later joined this group in the European Parliament, which was ultimately named the Identity and Democracy group. In July 2023, the AfD joined the Identity and Democracy Party, the European political party affiliated with this group.
  
  The AfD initially maintained close cooperation with the French National Rally and Marine Le Pen. In February 2024, it was reported that the relations between the two parties had become strained after AfD spokesmen attended the 2023 Potsdam far-right meeting. In response, the AfD's leadership held a meeting with Le Pen and denied endorsing the words of some of the people at the meeting.
  
  In May 2024, it was reported that the National Rally and other members of the Identity and Democracy group had announced they would no longer sit with the AfD following the 2024 European Parliament election after AfD's lead candidate for the election Maximilian Krah made remarks in an interview on Nazi Germany and allegedly suggested that not all members of the Waffen-SS should be seen as criminals. Italy's Lega and the Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) backed the National Rally's decision and announced they would also formally cease cooperation with the AfD while the Danish People's Party issued an ultimatum that they would only continue working with AfD on the condition of Krah's removal. The Flemish Vlaams Belang criticized Krah's words as "increasingly problematic" but declined to immediately expel the AfD faction, stating they preferred to review the situation after the election. The Estonian EKRE and the FPÖ supported expelling Krah but opposed the expulsion of AfD. After an internal meeting and vote, the Identity and Democracy board subsequently agreed to expel AfD, with group leader Marco Zanni citing Krah's interview, as well as allegations of Chinese and Russian espionage influence on AfD. The party consequently moved to non-inscrits. Following the decision, AfD said they would negotiate to rejoin the group and announced Krah would not sit with the AfD faction in the European Parliament after the election.
  
  AfD also has ties to parties like Hungary's Our Homeland Movement, the Confederation of the Polish Crown (KKP), the Dutch Forum for Democracy (FvD), the French Reconquête, Slovakia's Republic party, Bulgaria's Revival, Alternative for Sweden, Serbia's Dveri and the Serbian Party Oathkeepers. Following the 2024 European Parliament election, the AfD began negotiations with several of these parties to form a new European Parliament group. Although the AfD originally negotiated with S.O.S. Romania, it later rejected S.O.S.'s attempt to join the group. The KKP was also eventually rejected from the group. Despite the Czech SPD's prior declaration that it would not sit with the AfD, and past opposition by Poland's New Hope to cooperation with the AfD, both parties ultimately joined the AfD-led Europe of Sovereign Nations group. In August 2024, AfD also formed the Europe of Sovereign Nations party.
  
  In the United States, AfD has connections with former Department of Government Efficiency leader Elon Musk and groups associated with the Republican Party, particularly the Young Republicans. In response to the German domestic intelligence agency 2025 classification of the party as a "confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor" permitting monitoring of it, US Vice President JD Vance wrote, "The West tore down the Berlin Wall together. And it has been rebuilt – not by the Soviets or the Russians, but by the German establishment.” US secretary of state Marco Rubio also wrote "Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy – it’s tyranny in disguise."
  
  AfD has contacts with the People's Party of Canada through the AfD MEP Christine Anderson. The former President of Switzerland, Ueli Maurer of the Swiss People's Party, has endorsed the 2025 AfD election campaign and addressed AfD events.
  
  In February 2025, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Weidel announced the start of cooperation between AfD and Fidesz.
  
  AfD has some links with the UK Homeland Party.