Germany's AfD Bans Top Candidate from Campaigning Over SS Comment

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's top candidate, Maximilian Krah, has been banned from campaigning by the party's federal steering committee due to his comments on the Nazi SS. Krah stated that not all SS officers were criminals, which sparked widespread outrage and criticism. The AfD's leadership had initially defended Krah, but ultimately decided to ban him from public appearances. The Rassemblement National (RN) party in France, led by Marine Le Pen, has distanced itself from the AfD, stating that it will no longer sit with them in the next mandate. Le Pen had been preparing to make this decision official, citing the need for a "clean break" from the AfD.