Prague, May 3 (CTK) – The Alternative for Germany (AfD), the third strongest German party, would like to form an alliance with a Czech party, perhaps with the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS), daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) writes on Tuesday.
The AfD already cooperates with the Freedom Party of Austria (FPOe) as their views are similar. So is their strength, MfD writes.
“We will certainly look for a partner in the Czech Republic in order to cooperate,” Petr Bystron, AfD leader in Bavaria, has told the paper.
Czech-born Bystron emigrated along with his parents to Germany in 1987, when he was 16, MfD writes.
He absolutely disagrees with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, demanding her resignation.
“We are a liberal conservative party. With regard to our manifesto, the ODS is the closest to it,” Bystron said.
“Until recently, we were together in the same European Parliament group,” he added.
The ODS collaborated with the AfD until the two AfD’s MEPs had been expelled from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in February.
“In keeping with an agreement with our party leadership, the ODS MEPs backed the expulsion,” ODS leader Petr Fiala has said.
“Due to this, we are not interested in any closer cooperation. In fact, our foreign political contacts are based on cooperation within the group,” he added.
On the other hand, the planned new party, Alternative for the Czech Republic (APC), would like to make the most of the cooperation with the AfD, MfD writes.
It is being formed by the radical extra-parliamentary Bloc Against Islam, headed by entomologist Martin Konvicka.
Bloc deputy chairman Petr Hampl said the grouping was impressed by the AfD attracting the middle classes as its voters.
However, the APC may pay dearly for not having a clear programme, history and size, MfD writes.
“We are looking for an appropriate partner regarding both the programme and size,” Bystron said, naming, alongside Konvicka, also Fiala and former president Vaclav Klaus, the founder of the ODS, which he eventually left.
Bystron said he was maintaining a contact with Klaus.
The AfD has said it was not good for Czech anti-Islamist forces to be fragmented. It alluded to the disputes between the Bloc against Islam and the Dawn-National Coalition which were originally to run together in election, but they fell out over money.
At the AfD weekend congress, Klaus said he was a true fan of the AfD which is important for the neighbouring Czech Republic as well.
He said the AfD must reject destructive political correctness.
The AfD should show a way out of the blind alley of the present European development, he added.
Klaus supported the AfD already in March at rallies before the elections in three German federal states – Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saxony-Anhalt.
