*4.2. AfD*

In the AfD manifestos for the elections in Germany in 2017 (for the Bundestag and for the state parliaments of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, the Saarland, and Schleswig-Holstein), and then also in 2018 (state elections in Bavaria and Hesse), there is nowhere any indication of tension or contradiction between the federal and state levels of governmen<sup>t</sup> (Gould 2018). Additionally, regional culture and identity are nested within a shared German identity without there being any contradiction between the two (AfD 2017, 1.1). These positions were maintained in the manifestos for the 2018 state elections in Bavaria (AfD Bavaria 2018) and Hesse (AfD Hesse 2018). The outcomes of these elections led to the AfD being represented in the parliaments of all individual states, in addition to the Bundestag.

The AfD provides no reasons for its total satisfaction with the federal structure of the German national state as outlined in the Constitution. It is not an issue of any sort, and one may conclude that it is not in any contradiction with the party's conception of the nation and national identity. Acknowledged regional di fferences are unproblematic, accommodated by the federal structure, and, clearly, for the AfD this structure in no way diminishes the feeling of belonging to the national group, summarised in the expression "unity in diversity" (AfD 2017, 1.1), nor does it undermine its notion of popular sovereignty. In addition, for the AfD adherence to, and realisation of, the often-repeated fundamental constitutional concept "*freiheitliche demokratische Grundordnung*"/"free and democratic society", are also a characteristic of German identity (Gould 2018).

On the other hand, for AfD the importance of popular sovereignty and the imposition of restrictions on professional politicians are such that the first chapter, "Defence of Democracy in Germany", of the 2017 federal election manifesto (AfD 2017) contains proposals for significant changes in the functioning of the state: Following the Swiss pattern, the voters are to be given the power to amend or repeal acts of the Bundestag, and to propose and pass legislation via the use of referenda. In addition, constitutional changes should be made only with popular support in the form of a referendum; the Chancellor, state premiers, ministers, and *parlamentarische Staatssekretäre* (parliamentary undersecretaries) may no longer be members of the appropriate legislative body; the President should be chosen in a vote of the people; the Chancellor should serve for a maximum of two electoral terms, and members for no more than four.
