The death of seven candidates from the AfD party ignites conspiracy theories online
The German police denied any criminal suspicion in the deaths of seven candidates from the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD), but speculation and conspiracy theories continue to spread widely online. These deaths occurred during the local election campaign in North Rhine-Westphalia, scheduled for September 14, where around 20,000 candidates are competing for seats in municipal and local councils, in addition to some mayoral positions.
According to German media, four candidates and two substitutes died during the campaign, with causes of death ranging from natural health issues to suicide. Recently, another candidate's death was announced, bringing the total number to seven. Police confirmed that candidates from other parties also died during the campaign, emphasizing that there is no evidence of a crime.
Despite these clarifications, the series of deaths of AfD candidates – four of which occurred within just 13 days – has sparked a wave of conspiracy theories online. The party leader Alice Weidel, 46, described the situation on platform X as "statistically almost impossible," a statement that fueled suspicions.
Prominent figures outside Germany have increased the spread of these claims, including far-right British activist Tommy Robinson, who wrote on X: "What is happening here?" to which Elon Musk replied with one word: "Strange." Musk had announced his support for AfD ahead of the federal elections in February, where the party received 20.8% of the votes, its best result at the national level so far.
This controversy comes at a time when the AfD continues to gain political ground, following its victory in its first local council in June 2023 and its first regional elections in Thuringia in September 2024. Meanwhile, the EuroVerify group has detected hundreds of posts on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook describing the deaths as 'suspicious,' and these posts have garnered tens of millions of views. Nevertheless, German authorities and AfD officials in North Rhine-Westphalia assert that these deaths are merely tragic coincidental incidents with no indications of crime.