Holger Apfel

Holger Apfel
Leader of the National Democratic Party of Germany
In office
13 November 2011 – 19 December 2013
Preceded by Udo Voigt
Succeeded by Udo Pastörs
Member of the Saxon Parliament
In office
2004–2014
Personal details
Born 29 December 1970
Hildesheim, Lower Saxony
Nationality German
Political party National Democratic Party (until December 2013)
Spouse(s) Jasmin Apfel
Children 3
Website http://www.holger-apfel.de/

Holger Apfel (born 29 December 1970) is a German politician who was the leader of the far-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) from 2011 to 2013. He was a member of the Saxon Parliament between 2004 and 2014, serving as the chairman of the NPD parliamentary group and a member of the presidium of the parliament.

Apfel became the NPD's national leader in 2011. On 19 December 2013, he resigned with immediate effect from his leadership positions at both the national and the state level, before leaving the party entirely five days later. He resigned from the Saxon Parliament on 17 January 2014.

Political activities

Apfel has a long history of activism with the NPD, starting in the 1980s when he was active in the NPD's youth organisation. He was the deputy chairman of the NPD at the national level between 2000 and 2009 and deputy chairman at the state level between 2002 and 2009. Between 2009 and 2011, he served as the chairman of Saxony's NPD.

State politics

On 19 September 2004, Apfel led the NPD in Saxony to its biggest electoral success, winning 9.2% of the popular vote and twelve seats in the Landtag. He became the leader of the party's parliamentary group.

In 2005, Apfel and his party refused to take part in a moment of silence for the victims of Nazi Germany, which was to be held in the Saxon Landtag. The NPD parliamentary group had previously demanded that a moment of silence be held for the victims of the bombing of Dresden instead. In the ensuing parliamentary debate Apfel called the Allies of World War II "mass murderers" and accused the British of having waged a "holocaust" against Germans.[1]

National politics

In the 2005 federal election, he was a candidate for the constituency of Kamenz, Hoyerswerda and Großenhain, and received 6.7% of the votes.

On 13 November 2011, he was elected leader of the NPD at the national level.[2]

Resignation

On 19 December 2013, he resigned with immediate effect from his leadership positions at both the national and the state level.[3] Media outlets initially reported that Apfel was in poor health and suffering from "burnout syndrome".[3][4]

Three days after the announcement, the party presidium held an emergency meeting to discuss rumours about Apfel's private life. It subsequently issued a statement asserting that Apfel "has not yet refuted ongoing allegations concerning past transgressions".[5] Amid the threat of an expulsion proceeding, Apfel resigned from the party entirely on 24 December.[6]

Apfel resigned from his seat in the Saxon Parliament on 17 January 2014.[7]

Personal life

Apfel is married to Jasmin Apfel (born 1983), formerly the head of the NPD women's organisation, Ring Nationaler Frauen. They have three children. In 2012, the couple separated and Jasmin Apfel announced that she had resigned from both the RNF and the NPD.[8][9] However, Apfel announced later that year that the pair were once again together.[10]

It was reported in May 2014 that Apfel and his wife had begun operating a local restaurant on the island of Majorca.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Traynor, Ian (19 December 2013). "Dresden parliament in uproar at neo-Nazi outburst". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Stabwechsel bei der NPD in: Blick nach rechts, accessed 14-11-2011
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bender, Justus (19 December 2013). "NPD-Chef Holger Apfel tritt zurück" (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  4. ↑ Hebel, Christina; Röbel, Sven (19 December 2013). "Rechtsextreme: NPD-Chef Apfel tritt zurück" (in German). Spiegel Online. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Rechtsextreme in der Krise: NPD-Spitze droht Apfel mit Parteiausschluss" (in German). Spiegel Online. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  6. ↑ Schölermann, Stefan (24 December 2013). "Apfel tritt aus NPD aus" (in German). Tagesschau. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "Holger Apfel legt auch Landtagsmandat nieder" (in German). RP Online. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Interview mit Jasmin Apfel" (in German). Indymedia. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "Politik: NPD-Chef und Partei verlassen" (in German). Süddeutsche Zeitung. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  10. ↑ Cruzcampo, Oliver (20 September 2012). "Braunes Comeback: Jasmin Apfel kehrt zu NPD-Chef zurück" (in German). Endstation Rechts. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Schuster, Stephanie (21 May 2014). "Früherer NPD-Chef versucht sich als Wirt auf Mallorca" (in German). Mallorca Zeitung. Retrieved 12 August 2014.