Alice Weidel, co-chair of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, presented a programme for reforming the European Union in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The plan calls for a significant reduction in the powers of EU institutions and the return of most authority to national governments and parliaments. She outlined her vision on 21 October 2026 at an event titled “Our New Deal for Europe” (also referred to as “Sovereign Nations, Common Europe”), organised by the Europe of Sovereign Nations group.
Weidel stated that the European Union in its current form “is no longer a group of sovereign states” and requires fundamental restructuring. According to her, the exclusive right of legislative initiative held by the unelected European Commission violates the principles of democracy and the system of checks and balances. “We need to rebuild the EU and return powers to national parliaments and governments,” she stressed at a press conference.
Key proposals of the AfD include:
- Abolishing direct elections to the European Parliament. Instead, MEPs would be appointed by national parliaments in accordance with the political balance of power in the member states.
- Reducing the role of the European Commission to administrative and coordinating functions, with decision-making transferred to the heads of national governments and the European Council.
- Replacing the Court of Justice of the EU with a body for settling disputes between national governments (an arbitration tribunal).
- Substantially cutting the EU budget, freezing staff numbers at European institutions, and abolishing a number of agencies.
- Allowing countries (primarily Germany) to opt out of certain common EU policies in areas such as migration, taxation, defence, and others. The party also contemplates leaving the Schengen area if it ceases to effectively protect external borders.
The plan is based on the principles of subsidiarity, responsibility, and sovereignty. The AfD is not currently calling for Germany’s immediate withdrawal from the EU (“Dexit”), but warns that if the reforms are not implemented by 2029 (after the next European Parliament elections and German elections), the party may initiate a referendum on the country’s membership in the Union. The AfD hopes for the formation of a “right-wing” majority in the European Parliament by that time.
Weidel’s speech took place against the backdrop of a plenary session of the European Parliament. It generated limited resonance outside her own political group; representatives of other far-right forces were present, but the proposals did not receive broad support. Critics view the plan as a radical rollback to an intergovernmental model that would weaken the supranational institutions which, in the view of integration supporters, underpin the single market and common rules.
The AfD has consistently advocated for reducing EU bureaucracy and strengthening national competences. The document presented is one of the party’s most detailed attempts to formulate an alternative vision of Europe as a union of sovereign states rather than a federal entity.
