Jörg Meuthen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jörg Meuthen
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Meuthen in 2015
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| Leader of the Alternative for Germany | |
| In office 5 July 2015 – 28 January 2022 Serving with Tino Chrupalla
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| Preceded by | Bernd Lucke |
| Succeeded by | Alice Weidel |
| Leader of the Alternative for Germany in the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg | |
| In office 11 October 2016 – 8 November 2017 |
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| Chief Whip | Anton Baron |
| Preceded by | Heiner Merz |
| Succeeded by | Bernd Gögel |
| In office 16 March 2016 – 6 July 2016 |
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| Chief Whip | Bernd Grimmer |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Heiner Merz |
| Member of the European Parliament for Germany |
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| Assumed office 8 November 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Beatrix von Storch |
| Member of the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg for Backnang |
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| In office 11 May 2016 – 31 December 2017 |
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| Preceded by | multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Markus Widenmeyer (2018) |
| Constituency | Alternative for Germany list |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jörg Hubert Meuthen
29 June 1961 Essen, West Germany (now Germany) |
| Political party | Independent (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Christian Democratic Union (1977) Alternative for Germany (2013–2022) Zentrum (2022–2023) |
| Spouse |
Natalia Zvekic
(m. 2018) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Münster (no degree) University of Mainz University of Cologne (Dr. rer. pol.) |
| Occupation |
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Jörg Hubert Meuthen (born 29 June 1961) is a German economist, professor, and politician. He is currently an Independent Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Germany. An MEP is a person elected to represent their country in the European Parliament, which helps make laws for the European Union.
Meuthen was a leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He was a Member of Parliament in his home state of Baden-Württemberg from 2016. He also served as a main leader of the AfD party from July 2015 until January 2022. He left the party because of disagreements over its direction. From June 2022 to September 2023, he was part of the German Centre Party. Since 2024, he has been an independent MEP.
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About Jörg Meuthen's Life
Jörg Meuthen is a professor who teaches about how countries manage their money and resources. He works at the Academy of Kehl in Germany. He first joined the AfD party because he believed the European Union had too much power. This idea is called Euroscepticism.
He supports economic liberalism, which means he believes in free markets and less government control over the economy. He is married to Natalia Zvekic.
Meuthen became a leader for the AfD in the 2016 elections in Baden-Württemberg. He then became a member of the state parliament. In November 2017, he moved to the European Parliament. He was re-elected as an MEP in May 2019. There, he joined a group of politicians called Identity and Democracy (ID).
Meuthen believed the AfD should be a serious and sensible party. However, he faced challenges from a group within the party. This group, sometimes called 'the wing,' had more extreme views. Meuthen tried to remove one of their leaders, but he was not successful. This caused a lot of disagreement within the party. Meuthen was criticized by some members. He announced in October 2021 that he would not seek re-election as a party leader. In January 2022, he decided to leave the AfD. He said the party had moved too far to the right for his views.
Jörg Meuthen's Political Ideas
When the AfD party was new, Meuthen was seen as part of its more moderate side. He described himself as someone who believes in economic freedom. He also said he was "pretty conservative" on other topics. After a new leader was chosen in 2016, Meuthen seemed to align with the party's more right-leaning members.
In 2016, he supported a "conservative reformation" in Germany. He wanted to reduce the influence of older social movements on German politics. He has also spoken out against very extreme views within the AfD party.
Views on the European Union
In 2019, Meuthen stated that the European People's Party, a large political group in Europe, had become too left-leaning. He also disagreed with their decision to remove the Fidesz party from Hungary.
Views on Immigration
Meuthen has often spoken against the immigration policies of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At a party meeting in 2016, he said that Germany should not allow so many immigrants that the country changes too much. He believes that Germany's main culture is Christian-Western, not Islamic. He also said that the call to prayer from a mosque should not be as common as Christian church bells.
Meuthen thinks that people seeking safety in Germany should get temporary permits to live there. He does not believe they should automatically get full citizenship or permanent residency.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, Meuthen suggested that Germany should temporarily leave the Schengen Agreement. This agreement allows people to travel freely between many European countries. He argued that open borders were helping the virus spread.
Views on Foreign Policy
Meuthen has shown support for Israel. He has asked the German government to ban Hezbollah, a group based in Lebanon.
See also
In Spanish: Jörg Meuthen para niños
