NRW AfD closes state list for 2027 state election – Interior Ministry reviews validity

On Friday, the opposing camp had already left the hall in protest. The deputy state chairman, Christian Zaum, spoke in this context of a "party conference of shame." On the weekend before, rivals had blocked the party conference by having their own people stand as candidates en masse: more than 90 candidates were nominated for list seat 22, each given eight minutes of speaking time.

Of the nearly 500 delegates entitled to vote, around 350 were present on Saturday, according to AfD figures. At the end of the party conference, delegates chanted "Martin, Martin." According to the party spokesperson, the state list was predominantly filled with candidates from the moderate faction. According to polls, at least the first 30 seats could be enough for a state parliament mandate after the 2027 state election.

Federal executive board demands that the procedure be halted

Vincentz accused the opposing camp of obviously being concerned only with "generating a state election list that is pleasing to the federal executive board." The attempt by the "völkisch" faction around Helferich to block the list-nomination process had been thwarted. The state executive plans to submit the candidate list to the state election committee as quickly as possible.

The AfD federal executive board, led by chairpersons Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, had demanded in a letter that the list-nomination procedure be halted, citing alleged threats against party members. There are "significant indications" that electoral principles were violated during the previous candidate nomination, they stated. For instance, there are "consistent accounts" according to which delegates entitled to vote were threatened or placed under considerable pressure.

Interior Ministry reviews the validity of the list

The federal executive board was due to address the situation in NRW again on Monday. On Saturday, the AfD federal party leadership had still remained silent on the matter. According to party circles, there were no indications that the federal leadership would oust the NRW state executive led by Vincentz. The Vincentz side currently holds the majority in the NRW state association.

The NRW Interior Ministry announced that it would examine whether the list is valid and whether the party will be admitted to the state election in April 2027. The North Rhine-Westphalian AfD is currently not under observation by the NRW Office for the Protection of the Constitution. WDR reporters were present as a source for reporting at the party conference in Marl.

WDR Fernsehen had reported on the events on July 17, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in "WDR Aktuell" and at 6:45 p.m. in the "Aktuelle Stunde." The news was broadcast on July 18, 2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. The state list comprises a total of 82 seats.

Federal executive board's response remains to be seen

Regarding the adopted state list, a party spokesperson said: "Die Liste ist rechtssicher." © dpa-infocom, dpa:260718-930-404695/1 This is a news item directly from the dpa news channel. The AfD in NRW is pursuing the goal of significantly expanding its current faction in the state parliament at the upcoming election.

The conflict is described as a long-standing power struggle between the moderate faction around Vincentz and the "völkisch" faction, which also has sympathizers within the state parliament faction. According to the current state of affairs, the state list is to be transmitted promptly to the state election authorities so that a decision can be made on admission to the 2027 state election.

The federal party had demanded the immediate termination of the list-nomination procedure in its letter. In doing so, it intervened in an ongoing internal party conflict that has shaped the NRW AfD for months. The federal executive board's response was awaited with tension in Marl, but did not materialize on Saturday.

Outlook on the 2027 state election

With the list nomination that took place on Saturday, the formal part of the party conference has been concluded. Whether the list will stand in the form submitted now depends on the review by the Interior Ministry and the state election committee. Should the list not be admitted, the NRW AfD would have to make a new attempt at selecting its candidates.

The events in Marl cast a spotlight on the tensions that have existed for years between the factions of the NRW AfD. While the moderate faction around Vincentz largely supports the course of the federal party under Weidel and Chrupalla, the "völkisch" faction stands for a national-conservative to right-wing extremist course. Observers assess the list nomination as a preliminary victory for the moderate camp.

At the same time, it remains to be seen how the federal executive board will react to the outcome of the party conference. Should it not recognize the list, this could lead to an escalation of the internal party conflict at the federal level. The next meeting of the federal executive board on Monday is therefore considered to be indicative of the direction things will take.

For the state election in April 2027, the NRW AfD is aiming, according to its own statements, for a significant expansion of its state parliament faction. Polls place the party in a range in which the first 30 list seats are considered safe for entry into the state parliament. Which candidates actually enter the state parliament will depend on the election result and the order of the mandates.

Overall, the party conference in Marl shows how deep the rifts within the NRW AfD are. The events on Friday and Saturday – from leaving the hall to the attempted blockades to the allegations of threats – make it clear that the internal party dispute has not yet been resolved. The coming weeks until the 2027 state election will show whether the list holds up and which factions prevail within the party.