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WORLD NEWS Monday 7 august 2023

German far-right says the EU is a ‘failed project’ as it

prepares for European Parliament elections

Associated Press AfD supports the idea of
VIENNA (AP) — The far-right a “Europe of fatherlands,
Alternative for Germany a European community
declared the European of sovereign, democratic
Union a “failed project” states.”
in its current form as it ad- AfD co-leader Alice Weidel
opted its program for next said that the new compro-
June’s European Parlia- mise had been reached
ment election at its party during negotiations late
convention in the east- Sunday night, dpa report-
ern city of Magdeburg on ed.
Sunday, the German news The convention also final-
agency dpa reported. Tino Chrupalla, right, co-chairman of the ‘Alternative fuer ized the AfD’s list of 35 can-
The text states that the EU Deutschland’ (Alternative for Germany) and Alice Weidel, left, didates for the European
has “completely failed” in co-chairwoman of the ‘Alternative fuer Deutschland’ (Alternative Parliament election next
all important areas, includ- for Germany) party cheer at the end of the European election year.
meeting in Magdeburg, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. (Klaus-
ing its migration and cli- Dietmar Gabbert/dpa via AP) Maximilian Krah was se-
mate policy, and it rejects lected last weekend as the
the Euro as a currency. tion, strategic autonomy with a population of 56,000. AfD’s lead candidate with
However, the party in security policy, and the The program adopted in 65.7 percent of the votes.
stopped short of demand- preservation of “different Magdeburg Sunday takes Krah has been a member
ing Germany’s exit from identities” in Europe. a softer line towards the of the European Parliament
the EU. Instead, the AfD is Recent polls put support for EU than the draft program since 2019.
calling for the EU to be re- the AfD at 19-22%, behind from June, in which the AfD Leading members of the
founded as a “federation only the main conservative said it would seek the “or- AfD spoke out on Sunday
of European nations,” dpa opposition bloc. AfD can- derly dissolution of the EU.” against cooperating with
reported. didates recently won elec- Several AfD officials had the country’s main opposi-
According to the election tions in eastern Germany to previously voiced their de- tion conservative bloc, the
program, the main tasks of lead a county administra- sire for Germany to exit Christian Democratic Union
the new federation should tion for the first time since the EU altogether, in what of former chancellor Ange-
be the protection of exter- the 1930s and now holds is called “Dexit.” However, la Merkel.q
nal borders against migra- the mayoralty in a town the new program says the

Dozens saved by Italy from migrant shipwrecks; some,

clinging to rocks, plucked to safety by copters

By Frances D’Emilio one in an advanced stage
Associated Press of pregnancy, were exam-
ROME (AP) — Dozens of ined by medical personnel,
migrants were dramati- said Maria Ylenia Di Paola,
cally rescued by Italy as a nurse on Lampedusa. She
they foundered in the sea told Italian state TV that the
or clung to a rocky reef women were dehydrated
Sunday after three boats and cold, “but above all
launched by smugglers they were psychologically
from northern Africa ship- tried.”
wrecked in rough waters The helicopter operation
in separate incidents over was launched after the
the weekend. Survivors said In this picture taken from video distributed on Sunday, Aug. 6, coast guard determined
some 30 fellow migrants 2023 by the Italian Alpine Rescue squads, a migrant stranded the rough sea would make
were missing from capsized on a rocky reef on the tiny Italian southern island of Lampedusa, it impossible for rescue
vessels. Sicily is pluck to safety by helicopter. (Italian Alpine Rescue via boats to approach the
In a particularly risky opera- AP) jagged rocks safely. A day
tion, two helicopters bat- For years, migrants have Federico Catania, a earlier, Italian helicopters
tled strong winds to pluck taken to smugglers’ unsea- spokesperson for the Alpine dropped food, water and
to safety, one by one, the worthy vessels to make the assistance group whose ex- thermal blankets down to
migrants, including a child risky crossing of the Medi- perts were lowered from a the migrants on the reef.
and two pregnant women, terranean to try to reach hovering Italian air force Meanwhile, survivors of
who had been stranded for southern European shores helicopter. Migrants, some two boats that capsized
nearly two days on a steep, in hopes of being granted wearing shorts and flip- on Saturday some 23 nau-
rocky reef of tiny Lampedu- asylum or finding family or flops, clung to their rescuers tical miles (42.5 kilometers)
sa island. The migrants had jobs, especially in northern as they were pulled up into southwest of Lampedusa
been clinging to the jag- European countries. the copter. A firefighters’ told rescuers that about
ged rocks after their boat All 34 migrants who en- helicopter also carried out 30 fellow migrants were
smashed into the reef late dured two nights on the some of the rescues. missing.q
Friday. reef were rescued, said The two women, including