Debate Surrounds New Logo for AfD Youth Organization

The youth wing of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, known as the Junge Alternative, has been dissolved, leading to plans for the establishment of a new organization in the coming months. This prospective group is already sparking discussions over its potential logo.

Recent reports indicate that the AfD has submitted multiple logo designs to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA). The DPMA has confirmed receipt of these submissions, which are currently undergoing the standard trademark examination process. However, further details were withheld due to the ongoing nature of the review.

According to the EUIPO, four distinct logo designs were filed between July 15 and July 18. These designs feature a stylized eagle with angular lines, accompanied by variations of the AfD logo and the phrases "Parteijugend," "DeutschlandJugend," "Junge Patrioten," or "Patriotische Jugend."

The AfD has refrained from providing extensive comments on the topic. A spokesperson mentioned that the new youth organization must first be established before the newly elected federal board can make decisions regarding the logo and overall design. A founding congress is scheduled for late November.

Responses from AfD politicians regarding the new logo have been cautious. Jörg Baumann, a member of the Bavarian state parliament, expressed enthusiasm for the circulating designs on social media. Conversely, Till Steffen, a Green Party member of the Bundestag and legal expert, suggested that some elements of the logo might evoke troubling historical associations.

Criticism has emerged from unnamed AfD members who have shared their apprehensions about the logo, with one referring to it as "borderline" and another commenting on its resemblance to National Socialist aesthetics.

The Junge Alternative was previously a relatively autonomous entity within the party until it officially disbanded on April 1, following a party congress decision aimed at tightening the AfD's control over its youth wing. This restructuring is also seen as a response to potential scrutiny and risks of a ban, given that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the Junge Alternative as having extremist tendencies. The new organization is intended to foster a closer alignment with the AfD party structure.