AfD readmits politicians sidelined over Nazi remarks after election success

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has readmitted two politicians, Maximilian Krah and Matthias Helferich, into its parliamentary group after a strong performance in the recent German general election. Both had previously been sidelined due to controversial remarks about the Nazi era. Krah had resigned from the AfD's federal executive board last June after stating that not all members of Hitler's SS were "automatically criminals." Helferich resigned his parliamentary seat in 2021 after declaring himself "the friendly face of the Nazis" in a leaked chat. The decision to reinstate Krah and Helferich was made during the AfD's inaugural parliamentary meeting. The party has now become the second largest in the German parliament, holding 152 seats, following a significant increase in voter support.