Alternative for Germany (AfD) Prepares for Change in EU and Euro Policy

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has recently come to the fore with its success in local elections and reached the top in nationwide polls, is considering changing its strict stance on the European Union (EU) and the common currency euro.

According to the prepared strategy document, the party demands a radical reform of EU institutions and currency instead of leaving the union immediately.

The draft text, obtained by Reuters and first published in the Bild newspaper, points to a significant change in the founding principles of the AfD, which was founded in 2013 in response to the Eurozone bailout packages and advocates the dissolution of the monetary union or Germany's exit from the union.

The document proposes that Germany's EU membership be held in a referendum if reform efforts fail.

The document, written by AfD deputies in the European Parliament, Federal Assembly and state assemblies, aims to transform the EU into a looser "union of sovereign nations" structure.

The draft aims to limit Brussels' powers in national policy processes; It envisages granting exemptions to member states in areas such as migration, EU finance and social policies.

The text, which was discussed at a meeting last month, is expected to be voted on at the party congress to be held next year.

Peter Boehringer, the AfD's European policy spokesman in the Bundestag and a well-known euro opponent, refused to comment.

Party Co-Chairman Alice Weidel described the euro as a "weak currency" in an interview with the public broadcaster ZDF in August, but refrained from calling for Germany to officially exit the common currency.

AfD regularly expanded its base with the campaigns it carried out after the migration movement in 2015.

The party, which came in second place after the Christian Democrats led by Prime Minister Friedrich Merz in last year's general elections, aims to enter the federal government by 2029.

The Federal Organization for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) describes the party as "far-right", an assessment the AfD rejects.

Mainstream political parties in Germany are not interested in any coalition cooperation with the AfD.

The party recently emerged victorious in its second state election in two weeks.

In the elections held in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state last month, the AfD emerged as the first party in the ballot box, receiving approximately 38.2 percent of the votes.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) ranked second in the state with 35.5 percent.

According to the survey conducted by INSA research company on behalf of Bild newspaper, the findings of which were published last month, AfD ranks first in the country with 29 percent of the votes.