Under Petry's leadership, the AfD continued to grow dramatically, winning numerous seats in state parliaments.<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref name="DW">[http://www.dw.com/en/what-is-the-alternative-for-germany/a-19527050 What is the Alternative for Germany?]. ''DW''. September 5, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref><ref name="Wa.T.">Moulson, Geir (September 4, 2016). [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/4/alternative-germany-party-wins-state-election/ Anger over Merkel’s Syria refugee policy drives win for Alternative for Germany party]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref> The AfD formed an alliance with the [[Freedom Party of Austria]] in 2016 due to their shared Eurosceptic views.<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36504307 Nationalist Austria-Germany summit held on Zugspitze summit]. ''BBC''. June 10, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2016.</ref>
Despite AfD's shift to the right under Petry, she supported making alliances with the establishment German parties, something which brought her under much criticism from others in her party. Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel were elected as AfD's top candidates for the 2017 general election instead of Petry, who chose not to run.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/04/23/germanys-populist-afd-party-elects-new-right-wing-leaders/ Germany’s Populist AfD Party Elects New Right Wing Leaders]. ''Breitbart News''. April 23, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.</ref>
In January 2017, AfD member Björn Höcke held a racist and pro-Holocaust speech in [[Dresden]], thus openly showing he's a Neo-Nazi. While the conservative AfD members (including party leader Petry) condemned his speech and launched a party exclusion trial of Höcke, many Nazi members supported him and his speech, e.g. the AfD Saarland. In the party convention in April 2017 Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel were elected as AfD's top candidates for the 2017 general election instead of Petry, who was forced not to run anymore.<ref>[http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/04/23/germanys-populist-afd-party-elects-new-right-wing-leaders/ Germany’s Populist AfD Party Elects New Right Wing Leaders]. ''Breitbart News''. April 23, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.</ref> While the AfD was unable to gain any seats in the German national parliament in the 2013 election, it is in a strong stronger position for the 2017 elections.
==Views==
The AfD is strongly Eurosceptic and opposes opposed the centralization of the socialist and globalist [[European Union]].<ref name="BBC"/> It supports leaving the EU if the socialistic organization does not reform and discontinue its centralization policies.<ref name="BBC"/> The party is similar in EU policy to other right-wing populist parties in Europe. Additionally, the AfD is populist pro-direct democracy and anti-establishment.<ref name="BBC"/>
The AfD strongly opposes [[Angela Merkel]]'s reckless and leftist refugee migration policy.<ref name="Telegraph"/><ref name="Wa.T."/> It does not believe [[Islam]] to be compatible with Western society.<ref name="Telegraph"/> The party has connections to [[Pegida]], which strongly opposes the Islamification of Europe.<ref name="Germany'sFarage"/><ref name="DW"/>
==See also==