Frauke Petry Explained

Frauke Petry
Honorific-Suffix:MdB a.D.
Office:Leader of Die Blaue Partei
Deputy:Michael Muster
Alexander Langguth
Hubertus von Below
Term Start:14 October 2017
Term End:31 December 2019
Predecessor:Michael Muster
Successor:Position abolished
Office1:Leader of the Alternative for Germany
Alongside1:Jörg Meuthen
Term Start1:4 July 2015
Term End1:29 September 2017
Predecessor1:Bernd Lucke
Successor1:Jörg Meuthen
Office2:Member of the Bundestag
for Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge
Term Start2:24 October 2017
Term End2:26 October 2021
Predecessor2:Klaus Brähmig
Successor2:Steffen Janich
Embed:yes
Office3:Leader of the Alternative for Germany in Saxony
Term Start3:28 April 2013
Term End3:26 September 2017
Predecessor3:Position established
Successor3:Jörg Urban
Office5:Leader of the Alternative for Germany in the Landtag of Saxony
Term Start5:3 September 2014
Term End5:30 September 2017
Deputy5:Jörg Urban
Predecessor5:Position established
Successor5:Jörg Urban
Office6:Member of the Landtag of Saxony
Term Start6:29 September 2014
Term End6:1 October 2019
Constituency6:AfD List
Party:Independent (2019–present)
Blue Party (2017–2019)
AfD (2013–2017)
Otherparty:European Conservatives and Reformists
Birth Name:Frauke Marquardt
Birth Date:1975 6, df=yes
Birth Place:Dresden, East Germany
Children:6
Residence:Frohburg, Germany
Occupation:Politician
Education:University of Reading
University of Göttingen

Frauke Petry (pronounced as /de/; ; born 1 June 1975) is a German politician who chaired the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from July 2015 to September 2017. A chemist by training and with a professional background as a businesswoman, some political scientists described Petry as a representative of the national conservative wing of that party.

Petry had formerly served as one of three party spokespersons from 2013 to 2015,[1] and became leader in 2015, displacing the party's founder Bernd Lucke after an internal power struggle; Lucke subsequently left the party and said it has "fallen irretrievably into the wrong hands" after Petry's election. Petry left the party in turn after stating it had become "anarchical" and unable to provide a "credible platform".[2]

Petry is noted for her anti-immigration and anti-Islamic views, for her calls to ban minarets,[3] and for arguing that German police forces should "use firearms if necessary" to prevent illegal border-crossings in Europe.[4] She led the Blue Party until its dissolution in late 2019.[5]

Early life

Petry was born on 1 June 1975 to a chemist and an engineer in Dresden in what was then East Germany. She lived in Schwarzheide, Brandenburg, near Saxony until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, after which her family moved to Bergkamen, in Westphalia. Petry took her first degree in chemistry at the University of Reading, England, in 1998, before attending the University of Göttingen, from where she gained a doctorate in 2004.[6] She was supported by a scholarship of the Studienstiftung.[7]

Political orientation

Petry was described as a representative of the national-conservative wing of her party.[8] [9] [10] [11] To the contrary, political scientist Cas Mudde described her as a representative of the far-right wing of her party.[12] Petry describes herself as national-conservative and supporting policies of "national self-determinism". Der Spiegel reports that her electoral success on 4 July 2015, which gave her the reins of leadership in the AfD in preference to Bernd Lucke, one of the party's founders, was made possible by the national-conservative wing of the party. Lucke's wing did not have the majority.[1]

On the subject of the political spectrum, Petry has said, "Right and left are terms that haven't fitted for a long time". Petry believes sharia is incompatible with the "democratic and liberal order of state"[13] and has said that the majority within her AfD favors a liberal-conservative policy.

Border control

In January 2016, when a reporter from the regional newspaper Mannheimer Morgen asked her about European and German border policies, Petry answered that the German Border Police (German: Bundesgrenzschutz) must do their jobs by "hindering illegal entry of refugees". The reporter followed up on her response, using the term German: Schießbefehl which means "order to shoot". Petry stated that she did not use that term, going on to state that no policeman "wants to fire on a refugee and I don't want that either" but that the BGS must follow the law to maintain the integrity of European borders.[14] Afterwards, Petry made several attempts to justify these statements.[13] [14]

Male circumcision

In a rough draft of its manifesto, the AfD had considered adopting a stance stating that male circumcision should be outlawed, but Petry said in her interview with Tim Sebastian on 21 March 2016 that this language would not be in the final draft.[13] The Central Council of Jews in Germany is also in an uproar over the question of religious circumcision, stating that to give precedence to a child's self-determination over his parents' right of freedom of religion is "an unprecedented and dramatic intrusion on the right to self-determination of religious communities". This national dialogue is happening in the wake of a 2012 decision of a Higher Regional Court in Cologne, which called the circumcision of a 4-year-old boy "bodily harm".[15]

Women in society

Unlike the SPD, Petry does not believe mandatory quotas are the right way to give opportunities to women, nor does she believe they improve the chances of women having more leadership positions. She believes quotas make women unsure of whether a promotion would be made on the basis of qualifications.[16]

Regarding the issue of burqas, Petry believes it should not be compulsory for women to dress in such a manner. She has said that in schools "this sort of religious costume should not be worn".[13]

Migration

On the issue of international migration, Petry is of the view that, "We [Germany and the rest of Europe] have to decide what sort of migration we want to accept".[13] She has said, "Deciding about who's migrating and who's not, who's going to be part of a new country is, in the end, a question of borders, whether you see them, or whether you don't. When I go to France, I don't see the border, but I know it's there and I accept it, be it in terms of speed limits, or be it in terms of laws and legislation".[13]

Resignation from AfD

In April 2017, Petry stepped down as AfD's candidate for chancellor due to reports that she wanted to change the party's policies to appeal to more moderate voters like the Sweden Democrats.[17] This came after she had frequently criticised Björn Höcke, one of the founders of AfD,[18] [19] [20] [21] due to a speech that he held in Dresden in which, referring to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, he stated that "we Germans are the only people in the world who have planted a memorial of shame in the heart of their capital",[22] and suggested that Germans "need to make a 180 degree change in their politics of commemoration".[23] The speech was widely criticized as antisemitic, among others by Jewish leaders in Germany.[24] Petry backed attempts to expel Höcke from AfD as the party chairwoman, describing him as a "burden to the party", but could not prevail in a power struggle with her party rivals Jörg Meuthen[17] and Alexander Gauland,[25] who accused her of splitting party ranks. Despite the internal strife, her party voted to allow her to run for a seat in the German parliament in the September 2017 elections.[26]

One day after election night in which Petry was elected to the Bundestag by direct mandate, she left an AfD press conference saying that she won't join the party's parliamentary group in the Bundestag because the party became too "anarchical" and "could not offer a credible platform". Alice Weidel, the AfD's frontrunner, demanded her resignation from the party.[2] Following this, Petry said that she would join the Bundestag as an independent politician.[27] She resigned from the party and all offices on 29 September 2017.[28] She was subsequently charged with perjury for allegedly lying under oath about her former party's finances.[29] She was convicted and sentenced to a fine of 6,000 euros. In 2020, the Federal Court of Justice overturned the conviction on the grounds that the law on perjury did not apply to the context in which she made the false statements.[30]

On 12 October 2017, Petry announced that she would form a new party, called the Blue Party, which would provide a "reasonable conservative" agenda and seek to replicate the success of the Bavarian Christian Social Union.[31] In late 2019, that party was dissolved.

Petry made a reappearance in public during a April 2021 interview with Kurt Krömer in which she spoke about the Alternative for Germany donation scandal. She revealed that she would be writing a book about her time as AfD leader.[32] [33] The book was subsequently published as Requiem for the AfD in which Petry argued the party had become a "chaotic protest party" no longer interested in governing after she resigned as leader and accused politicians within the party of being blackmailed into accepting undeclared donations.[34]

Personal life

In 2007, Petry founded her own business, PURinvent, a Leipzig-based manufacturer of polyurethane tire fill products. She received the Medal of the Order of Merit in 2012.[35] Petry separated from her husband, Sven Petry, a Lutheran pastor, in October 2015, stating that this was by mutual consent and that the two remained friends and would continue to share in the upbringing of their four children.[36] Frauke Petry also revealed that "much more than just friendly feelings" had developed between her and Marcus Pretzell, a fellow AfD party member.[37] At about the same time, it was announced that Sven Petry had joined the CDU.[38] [39] In December 2016, Petry married Pretzell, by then her domestic partner.[40] [41] Having had two further children with Pretzell,[42] Petry now has six altogether and lives in Tautenhain, Saxony.

Petry is a member of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Saxony, a member church of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). She criticizes many stances of the EKD, which historically holds a largely liberal Protestant stance, claiming it follows "only its own interests" regarding immigration. In 2016 she advocated its cooperation with AfD in order to defend the "European Christian values of the West".[43]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: de. AfD: Lucke-Anhänger wollen neue Partei gründen. 16 June 2016. Der Spiegel. 13 July 2015.
  2. Web site: +++ German election, the day after - live updates +++ – DW – 09/25/2017. dw.com.
  3. News: Far right AfD party says Muslims not welcome in Germany. The Telegraph. May 2016. Huggler. Justin.
  4. Web site: Refugees should be shot 'if necessary', says party leader in Germany. Independent.co.uk. 31 January 2016.
  5. News: Frauke Petry kündigt Ende ihrer "Blauen Partei" an – DER SPIEGEL – Politik. SPIEGEL. DER. 5 November 2019. Der Spiegel. de. 22 March 2020.
  6. Book: Petry, Frauke. Charakterisierung eines neuen ATP-binding-cassette Transporters aus der ABCA-Subfamilie. 27 September 2013. 2004. University of Göttingen. de. 129. (dissertation/curriculum vitae)
  7. News: Jessen. Jens. 9 July 2015. Stipendiaten In bester Gesellschaft. 13 February 2021. Die Zeit.
  8. Lars Geiges, Stine Marg, Franz Walter: Pegida. Die schmutzige Seite der Zivilgesellschaft? Transcript, Bielefeld 2015,, S. 153.
  9. Gudrun Hentges: Sarrazins Erben: Ressentiments von PEGIDA und AfD finden sich schon beim Ex-Finanzsenator. In: ROSALUX. Journal der Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Ausgabe 1/2015, 20 f.
  10. Kristina zur Mühlen: Web site: Politologe zum Flügelkampf in der AfD: Machtkampf mindert die Wahlchancen . https://web.archive.org/web/20151031002343/http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/afd-falter-101.html . 31 October 2015 . tagesschau24. tagesschau.de . Interview with Jürgen W. Falter . de . 20 September 2017 . 22 January 2015.
  11. Frank Decker: Alternative für Deutschland und Pegida. Die Ankunft des neuen Rechtspopulismus in der Bundesrepublik. In: Frank Decker, Bernd Henningsen, Kjetil Jakobsen (Hrsg.): Rechtspopulismus und Rechtsextremismus in Europa. Die Herausforderung der Zivilgesellschaft durch alte Ideologien und neue Medien (= International Studies on Populism. Bd. 2). Nomos, Baden-Baden 2015,, S. 75–90, hier: S. 80.
  12. Web site: One Alternative for Germany or Many? The Mixed Message of the German State Elections . Mudde . Cas . 13 March 2016 . The Huffington Post .
  13. News: Sebastian. Tim. Transcript: Tim Sebastian interviews Frauke Petry. 18 June 2016. Deutsche Welle. 21 March 2016.
  14. News: de. Mack. Steffen. Serif. Walter. Sie können es nicht lassen!. 30 January 2016. Mannheimer Morgen. 30 January 2016.
  15. News: Cutting Controversy: German Court Sets New Circumcision Rules. 14 June 2016. Der Spiegel. 27 September 2013.
  16. News: de. Die Frauenquote sei "völlig unausgegoren". 14 June 2016. Wirtschaftswoche. 27 November 2014. 29 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170929032819/http://www.wiwo.de/politik/deutschland/alternative-fuer-deutschland-die-frauenquote-sei-voellig-unausgegoren/11041706.html. dead.
  17. News: Huggler. Justin. German far-right leader stuns party by quitting chancellor race. The Telegraph. 21 April 2017. 27 April 2017.
  18. Web site: Björn Höcke: Mein Mitschüler, der rechte Agitator. Polke-Majewski. Karsten. 18 February 2016. Die Zeit. 19 April 2017. 31 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190531205235/https://www.zeit.de/amp/politik/deutschland/2016-02/bjoern-hoecke-afd-rechtspopulismus-portraet. dead.
  19. Web site: Landtagswahl 2014: Welche Koalitionen sind in Thüringen möglich?". 16 July 2014. Thüringische Landeszeitung.
  20. Web site: AfD Vorstand Thüringen. 19 April 2017. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100830/http://afd-thueringen.de/vorstand/. live.
  21. Web site: Thüringen: Ausschuss hebt Immunität von AfD-Fraktionschef Höcke auf. 3 July 2015. Der Spiegel. 19 April 2017. 19 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230419175521/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/thueringen-immunitaet-von-afd-fraktionschef-hoecke-aufgehoben-a-1042010.html. live.
  22. News: AfD-Mann Höcke löst mit Kritik an Holocaust-Gedenken Empörung aus. 18 January 2017. de. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 2 June 2020. 11 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111170720/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/afd-geht-nach-umstrittener-rede-auf-distanz-zu-hoecke-14686499.html. live.
  23. News: Was Höcke mit der "Denkmal der Schande"-Rede bezweckt. 19 January 2017. de. Matthias Kamann. Die Welt. 19 April 2017. 23 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231023151201/https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article161286915/Was-Hoecke-mit-der-Denkmal-der-Schande-Rede-bezweckt.html. live.
  24. Web site: AfD-Chefin Petry: "Höcke ist eine Belastung für die Partei". 18 January 2017. de. Junge Freiheit. 19 April 2017. 4 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230604090955/https://jungefreiheit.de/politik/deutschland/2017/petry-hoecke-ist-eine-belastung-fuer-die-partei/. live.
  25. https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article167328955/Frauke-Petry-bezichtigt-Gauland-und-Meuthen-der-Luege.html Frauke Petry bezichtigt Gauland und Meuthen der Lüge
  26. http://www.dw.com/en/alternative-for-germanys-frauke-petry-survives-attempted-in-party-putsch/a-39619218 Alternative for Germany's Frauke Petry survives attempted in-party putsch
  27. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/25/afd-leader-frauke-petry-quits-party-german-election-breakthrough AfD leader quits party caucus hours after German election breakthrough
  28. News: Petry offiziell ausgetreten: AfD bangt um ihre Mitte. Weiland. Severin. 29 September 2017. Spiegel Online. 29 September 2017.
  29. News: Former AfD leader Frauke Petry could face jail after being charged with perjury. The Telegraph. 4 October 2017. Huggler. Justin.
  30. News: Welle (www.dw.com) . Deutsche . Bundesgerichtshof spricht Frauke Petry in Falscheid-Verfahren frei DW 6 May 2020 . 20 March 2021 . DW.COM . de-DE.
  31. News: Former leader of Germany's far-right kicks off new 'Blue Party'. 12 October 2017. Reuters. 12 October 2017.
  32. Web site: 2021-06-14. Chez Krömer – Frauke Petry (S04/E03). ARD-Mediathek.
  33. Web site: 2021-06-14. Marcel Görmann. 2021-04-09. AfD: "Unangenehm" – Zuschauer nach Auftritt von Ex-Parteichefin Frauke Petry bei Krömer frustriert. DerWesten.
  34. Markus Wehner: Frauke Petry rechnet mit der AfD ab. www.faz.net, 18. Juni 2021.
  35. Web site: Ordensverleihung zum Tag der Deutschen Einheit. Bundespräsidialamt. 4 October 2012. 27 September 2013. de.
  36. News: de. AfD-Chefin Petry trennt sich von ihrem Ehemann. 15 June 2016. Sächsische Zeitung. 7 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20170824051311/http://www.sz-online.de/sachsen/afd-chefin-petry-trennt-sich-von-ihrem-ehemann-3217629.html. 24 August 2017. dead.
  37. Web site: Germany's anti-euro party which became two. Peter Teffer. 30 October 2015. EUobserver. 23 March 2016.
  38. News: Decker. Markus. Sven Petry geht zur CDU. 14 November 2015. FRANKFURTER RUNDSCHAU. 12 October 2015. de.
  39. News: Frauke Petry: Smiling face of Germany's resurgent right. Kate Connolly. 7 February 2016. The Observer. 7 February 2016.
  40. News: de. Amann. Melanie. Weiland. Severin. Angebliches Beratungsangebot: Die AfD, der Journalist und ein heikler Vorwurf. 15 June 2016. Der Spiegel. 12 February 2016.
  41. News: Frauke Petry heiratet ein zweites Mal. FAZ.net. 22 December 2016. Justus Bender. 22 December 2016. de.
  42. https://www.merkur.de/politik/frauke-petry-ehemann-karriere-kinder-was-macht-sie-nach-afd-zr-12948847.amp.html Frauke Petry: Ehemann, Karriere, Kinder – Was macht sie nach der AfD?
  43. Web site: Wie christlich ist die AfD? – Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Hennef. 18 April 2016.