A delegation from Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has concluded a weeklong visit to the United States, using meetings with Republican lawmakers and political figures to promote its narrative of political repression in Germany and to seek international allies amid mounting scrutiny at home. The visit underscored the AfD’s growing effort to internationalize its grievances, portray itself as a victim of state persecution, and align with conservative and populist forces abroad-particularly within the US Republican Party.

The 20-member delegation, led by Bundestag member Markus Frohnmaier, framed the trip as an attempt to “strengthen” the AfD’s political position by forging partnerships across the Atlantic. In social media posts, Frohnmaier claimed that Germany’s political establishment had abandoned democratic principles, accusing authorities of censorship, judicial overreach, and the deliberate targeting of opposition parties. According to Frohnmaier, Germany has become “a land of prosecutors and censors,” a claim that mirrors the AfD’s longstanding rhetoric that state institutions are weaponized against dissenting political voices.

The visit took on a particularly controversial tone due to the actions of Petr Bystron, an AfD member of the European Parliament who has faced multiple legal investigations in Germany. Bystron posted videos and messages on X, formerly Twitter, portraying the delegation’s presence in Washington as a symbolic convergence of nationalist and populist movements in Europe and the United States. Standing in front of the US Capitol, Bystron wrote that “the nightmare of the establishment is coming true,” asserting that anti-establishment forces on both sides of the Atlantic were now “joining forces.”

Bystron also shared an article from the right-wing online outlet Journalistenwatch.com,........

© Blitz