At the AfD party congress in Marl, Martin Vincentz defended his position as NRW state chairman with 54.7 percent of the votes. The moderate politician prevailed in a bitter internal power struggle against candidates from the radical wing. The narrow election has implications for the state executive board and the federal party.
The AfD party congress in North Rhine-Westphalia took place on Saturday in Marl, where around 500 delegates voted. Martin Vincentz, a 39-year-old general practitioner from Krefeld, was re-elected with 54.77 percent of the votes (270 out of 495). His opponent Fabian Jacobi received 43.4 percent. Originally, a dual leadership of Jacobi and Christian Zaum, supported by the radical Matthias Helferich, planned to challenge Vincentz, but the motion was rejected.
The conflict revolves around the party's direction: Vincentz is considered moderate and seeks electability, while Helferich and his supporters are close to the völkisch wing. Helferich, who was expelled from the party last year and currently has no membership rights, was not present as entry was denied to him. The youth organization 'Generation Deutschland' was classified as a right-wing extremist suspected case by the Verfassungsschutz shortly before the congress; party leader Alice Weidel called this an 'order'.
A heated debate preceded the vote, particularly over allegations against Vincentz ally Klaus Esser, who allegedly submitted fake qualifications in his application. Esser denies this; a party expulsion procedure is ongoing against him. Vincentz said: 'We don't want crazy people from the right.' Weidel sharply criticized the state executive and demanded unity.
After a break, the factions agreed on a deal: Vincentz's camp gets seven executive positions, Helferich's side five. Christian Zaum became first deputy, Tim Csehan, Helferich's office manager, a deputy member. Vincentz has led the association since 2022 and is aiming for the 2027 state election, where the AfD is currently polling at 15 percent. The election bolsters Vincentz's support for federal leader Tino Chrupalla.
