BRUSSELS (AP) — A German far-right party making big gains in the upcoming European elections suffered another setback Thursday when it was expelled from a right-wing group in the European Parliament.
The Identity and Democracy group has decided to remove Alternative for Germany from the group with immediate effect, Italy’s La Lega party, which is a member of the group, said in a statement. Alternative for Germany said it “acknowledged” the decision.
The move comes amid growing controversy surrounding Alternative für Deutschland’s leading candidate for the European elections, Maximilan Krah.
On Wednesday, the party banned Krah from making any more campaign appearances after he told an Italian newspaper that not all members of the Nazi elite SS unit, which was involved in major war crimes during World War II, were war criminals.
Krah was already under scrutiny after authorities in Brussels searched his offices in the European Parliament in connection with one of his aides who was arrested last month on suspicion of spying for China.
