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Berlin – The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has officially announced that former football World Cup winner Thomas Berthold will be its candidate in the upcoming election for the President of Germany. Party leader Tino Chrupalla confirmed the nomination on the platform X on Saturday.
A Symbolic Nomination
The presidential election, scheduled for January 30, 2027, will determine the successor to current President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Political analysts widely expect CSU politician Ilse Aigner to secure a majority for the office. Consequently, the AfD’s decision to nominate its own candidate is viewed primarily as a symbolic gesture, as the party holds no majority in the Federal Convention.
Chrupalla: “Germany Needs a Non-Partisan President”
Explaining the choice, Tino Chrupalla stated that Germany requires a “truly non-partisan president who can foster a new sense of unity.” He praised Berthold as a well-known and popular figure who demonstrated courage during the pandemic by opposing restrictive policies “without regard for personal loss.”
Berthold’s Background
Thomas Berthold is a former professional footballer who was part of the West German team that won the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Throughout his career, he earned 62 caps for the national team and played for prominent clubs, including VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich. In recent years, Berthold has become known for his outspoken criticism of government measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, notably appearing at a rally organized by the “Querdenken 711” initiative in Stuttgart.
This is not the first time the AfD has used the Federal Convention to highlight its political stance. In 2022, the party nominated Max Otte, the former head of the Werte-Union, which subsequently led to his expulsion from the CDU.
The nomination of a high-profile public figure like Berthold is seen as an attempt by the AfD to increase its visibility and appeal to voters who are dissatisfied with mainstream political discourse, even if the electoral outcome remains unchanged.
Source: Radio Westfalica
