AfD is being investigated by German police for providing ‘deportation tickets’

Euronews

ADVERTISEMENT Freezing temperatures and heavy snow have caused disruptions in several parts of southeastern Europe, ranging from transport issues to schools being forced to shut.
Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Italy have also issued alerts for heavy snow in recent days.
The heavy snowfall caused problems at the Predel Pass, where two trucks crashed and had to be removed with snow-clearing machinery.
ADVERTISEMENT Police have launched an investigation into the local branch of the far-right AfD party in the city of Karlsruhe over campaign posters styled as “deportation tickets” sparked controversy in the run-up to the country’s election on 23 February.
On the flyers, “AfD” is entered as the departure gate, and two sentences read, “Only remigration can save Germany” and, “It’s nice at home too”.

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Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures have disrupted many areas of southeast Europe, causing everything from transportation problems to the closure of schools.

In mountainous regions of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia, a storm system has brought snow, strong winds, and a lot of rain.

Due to severe weather that blocked access to several villages, more than 70 schools in Albania were closed on Monday. In the northern and southeast regions of the Balkan country, authorities have been removing snow from the roads and resuming traffic.

In recent days, Italy, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria have also issued warnings of heavy snowfall. On Monday, there was 40 centimeters of snow covering the Smolyan region of Bulgaria.

Two trucks crashed at the Predel Pass due to the heavy snowfall, necessitating the use of snow-clearing equipment to remove them. According to local media reports, there were no significant traffic jams despite the heavy snowfall and heavy traffic.

Because of the snowfall in the Prilep region of North Macedonia, the authorities have placed restrictions on cargo vehicles. The local traffic authorities declared that although the situation on the regional roads was complex, it was under control.

The manager of the nation’s public road management service, Sasho Vasilevski, stated, “The emergency crews have been working for 36 hours straight since the snow started to fall.”.

In the Italian region of Puglia, municipalities above 800 meters have also seen heavy snowfall. The weather in the province of Foggia was considerably worsened by the cold air wave from northeastern Europe, and snowfall was observed in mountainous areas like Faeto and Monteleone.

The cold temperatures also increased the risk of flooding in areas at lower elevations. Because of severe thunderstorms that affected the entire island, Sicily issued a yellow alert on Tuesday. Additionally, avalanche alerts have been issued throughout the western Alps, and France has issued an orange flood warning for the north.

The rest of the continent is also experiencing freezing temperatures due to a colder-than-expected weather outlook, and these conditions are predicted to persist throughout the week.

The next ten days will be milder than normal in the Nordic region, however. Helsinki’s average temperature will rise by 3°C on Thursday, which is roughly 8°C warmer than usual.

In December, the European Environment Agency (EEA) issued a warning, stating that severe cold spells and other extreme weather events were being exacerbated by climate change.

In Karlsruhe, police have opened an investigation into the local chapter of the far-right AfD party after campaign posters that resembled “deportation tickets” caused controversy ahead of the February 23 national election.

The Karlsruhe criminal police force is investigating the flyers, which are based on airline tickets, on suspicion of inciting racial hatred. AfD-branded airline tickets with falsified flight information that reads “departure: Germany” and “destination: safe country of origin” are displayed. “.”.

“Only remigration can save Germany” and “It’s nice at home too” are the two sentences that appear on the flyers, which also list “AfD” as the departure gate.

Members of the Left party have threatened to report the AfD district branch for inciting hatred, and the public has also complained about the flyers.

According to the Left, the flyers were deliberately placed in the mailboxes of individuals with a history of migration, were overtly xenophobic, and were meant to feed animosity and division among various groups.

According to the news agency dpa, the AfD’s state branch in Baden-Württemberg maintained that the flyers were intended for all eligible voters, with a significant portion merely residing in Karlsruhe. It stated that the party’s other local branches would receive a template of the poster. A police spokesperson stated that the flyers are still being investigated in spite of this.

The campaign’s similarities to one promoted by the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), which has since changed its name to the Heimat, in 2013 were noted by German media. The right-wing extremist party spread fake airline tickets with the words “From Germany — destination home” at the time in an effort to dissuade candidates with immigrant backgrounds from running for office.

The campaign caused a heated debate and was called “xenophobic propaganda” by commentators. Following days of anti-far-right protests, the NPD has since been denied access to state funds and tax breaks typically given to German political parties.

In an interview with local media, AfD politician Marc Bernhard denied any affiliation with the NPD, saying: “We categorically reject any connection with an action by the NPD that took place more than ten years ago, which is completely unknown to us.”. “..”.

However, Alice Weidel, the party’s candidate for chancellor, publicly embraced the term “remigration” during the party’s conference in the eastern town of Riesa over the weekend, suggesting that the campaign is in line with the AfD’s immigration policies.

“Remigration” is a broad term that is commonly used to refer to the mass deportation of individuals with a history of migration. Reports vary, though, regarding whether or not this would apply to foreign nationals who are entitled to legal residency.

Weidel made a U-turn just a year ago when she attempted to disassociate herself from the term, which caused nationwide outrage when it was revealed that a prominent member of the AfD party had met with controversial Austrian far-right activist Martin Sellner to discuss “non-assimilated” citizens and “remigrating” foreigners with residency rights.

Herbert Kickl, the hard-right politician from Austria who won the most votes in the general elections, has also pushed the idea. He was recently asked to lead coalition talks.

The AfD is in second place with 22% of the national vote, according to the most recent INSA poll. They have ruled out collaborating with other parties, such as the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is leading the polls. This means that, barring a political upheaval in the nation, they are unlikely to go into government.

Following an unannounced meeting with his counterparts from France, the UK, Italy, and Poland in Warsaw on Monday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday.

At a time when US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration is expected to change Washington’s war policy, Pistorius stated that his visit was intended to highlight Germany’s strong support for Ukraine.

“As the largest NATO partner in Europe, Germany, naturally plays a special role in this, as it has done over the past three years,” Pistorius said, adding that his visit “is a signal that Germany, as the biggest NATO country in Europe, stands by Ukraine — not alone, but with the group of five and many other allies.”.

The top five European countries for military spending are Germany and the other four.

Trump has criticized the cost of the war to American taxpayers and pledged to end it quickly, but he has not provided any details. He has also stated unequivocally that he wants Europe to bear a greater portion of the cost of assisting Ukraine.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to talk about ways to keep Ukraine safe.

When Macron raised the prospect of sending Western troops to Ukraine last year, he looked isolated on the European scene and drew criticism from other leaders, but it seems that the topic is once again on the agenda. Zelenskyy stated late on Monday that he had spoken with the French leader about the issue and that in order to support any peace deal, Ukraine needs security guarantees.

“We discussed the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine as one of these guarantees,” Zelenskyy stated. We thought about doable ways to put it into practice, potential growth, and involving other nations in this process. “”.

It would be risky to send European troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers. A move like this might not stop Russia from attacking Ukraine in the future, which is what Ukrainian officials are most afraid of, and it might force European nations to face Moscow head-on.

The US and other members of NATO may then be drawn into a full-fledged international conflict.

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