At the beginning of November, the governing coalition in Germany collapsed, and in the second half of February 2025, a snap election will be held. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), of which Bundestag member Steffen Kotré is a member, intends to play a significant role in this election.
The collapse of the government coalition and the announcement of a snap election were described by Alice Weidel and Tina Chrupalla from your party as the liberation of Germany, which needs a fresh political start to lead the country out of crisis. What steps do you consider absolutely essential to bring Germany out of the crisis?
Germany should immediately engage in peace negotiations with Russia instead of continually supplying new weapons. The war in Ukraine worries me greatly because I fear that it could spread to all of Europe. Germany must play a mediating role here instead of taking sides unilaterally. In addition, the sanctions against ????ussia should be withdrawn immediately, as they are primarily causing us harm. They are simply ineffective. When it comes to energy supply, we need a healthy energy mix. An industrialized nation cannot rely solely on renewable energy because the sun does not always shine and the wind does not always blow. Coal and nuclear energy must therefore be brought back online. We have to revoke many laws: that you can change your gender every year, that companies should save energy in a planned economy manner or check their suppliers. We must withdraw from the Paris Agreement and end pointless climate action. Above all, the CO2 tax must be withdrawn. In addition, bureaucracy and taxes must be reduced to avoid further weakening the middle class. Furthermore, we must once again implement a policy that does not distribute tax money all over the world, but rather protects German and European interests.
According to Spiegel magazine, you plan to advocate for Germany‘s exit from the European Union. Will this be a non-negotiable demand for potentially forming a government coalition if your party achieves significant success in the February election? And which points in your program are ultimate and non- negotiable?
So far it is only a draft. How exactly we position ourselves in relation to the EU will be decided at the federal party conference in January. Until then, I ask for your patience, as it is not yet clear what our position will be. However, it is clear to us that we strictly reject any further transfer of power to Brussels. Everything that can be solved within the national state should be solved wtihin the national state. Everything else, such as protecting the EU‘s external borders, can be resolved at the European level. What is crucial, however, is that the borders are finally protected again in order to avoid further mass migration. The countries in Europe have not only reached their capacity limits, but have far exceeded them. The population no longer approves this course. Limiting and controlling migration is non- negotiable for us.
In the Bundestag, you are also a member of the Committee on Climate Action and Energy, and you have been involved in energy matters for a long time. What is the biggest challenge Germany faces in this area?
The biggest challenge for Germany with regard to the energy policy is the course taken by the federal government in general. The government is causing intentional energy shortages in the market. This is done by simultaneously shutting down coal and nuclear plants. The result is rising prices for consumers and companies. This will massively damage Germany‘s competitiveness. The reduction in power plant capacity leads to electricity shortages. On November 7th, electric power on the electricity exchange temporarily cost 80 cents per kWh. At the same time, 20 percent of the demand had to be imported. In a situation when no wind or solar power is available, power shutdowns become necessary. This is exactly what we are facing: South African conditions in which entire districts or large companies are shut down. The left- green policy of a planned economy with random electricity from wind and sun reverses the market economy: electricity is only produced when the weather allows for it. This is a destruction of our country????s foundations of prosperity.
You are also the chairman of the Slovak-Czech- Hungarian Parliamentary Group. How do you assess Germany‘s relations with these countries? And do you have any friends there?
My grandfather came from České Budějovice. I have Czech relatives. I have political friends in Slovakia and, as an East German, I am grateful to Hungary for its border policy, which ultimately led to a change. I am convinced that the relationships with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary are particularly important for Germany. Firstly because of the economic ties but also due to the historical and cultural connections. Therefore, I would like to strengthen and promote mutual exchange. In Germany I am also promoting greater understanding of the political decisions in these countries, which I can personally understand.
A non-political question to conclude - when you‘re exhausted after meetings, what helps you clear your head the best?
The best way for me to clear my head is to go hiking with my family. I enjoy the peace and silence in nature and am grateful for the time I can spend with my wife and son.
CV BOX
Steffen Kotré (born April 29, 1971, in Berlin) is a member of the German Bundestag for the Alternative for Germany (AfD). In the Bundestag, he serves, among other roles, as a member of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy and chairs the Slovakia-Czechia-Hungary parliamentary group.
In 1997, he graduated in industrial engineering and subsequently worked as a management consultant for small
and medium-sized enterprises, primarily in the field of managerial consulting. From 2014 to 2017, he served as an economic and energy consultant for the AfD parliamentary group in the Brandenburg state parliament.
Kotré joined the AfD in 2013 and has since held various positions, including assessor of the state board and chairman of the State Committee for Economy, Technology, and Tourism of AfD Brandenburg. He was elected to the Bundestag in the 2017 federal election and successfully defended his seat in 2021.
He is the chairman of the Association for Energy Security and a member of the Atomia association and the Motor Babelsberg sports club.
Since 2021, he has been married to Lena, an AfD member of the Brandenburg state parliament, and is the father of two children.
