Frauke Petry

Frauke Petry
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Name	Frauke Petry
Caption	Petry in 2017
Birth date	1 June 1975
Birth place	Dresden, East Germany
Party	Alternative for Germany (2013–2017), The Blue Party (2017–2019), Independent (2019–present)
Spouse	Marcus Pretzell (m. 2016; div. 2020), Sven Wagenknecht (m. 2024)
Alma mater	University of Reading, University of Göttingen
Occupation	Politician, chemist, businesswoman

Frauke Petry is a German former politician who rose to prominence as a leading figure in the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. A chemist and businesswoman by training, she served as the AfD's federal chairwoman from 2015 to 2017 and was a member of the Saxon Landtag from 2014 to 2017. Her tenure was marked by significant internal party conflicts and controversial statements on immigration and national identity, culminating in her departure from the AfD shortly after the 2017 German federal election.

Early life and education

Born in Dresden in the former East Germany, she grew up in the German Democratic Republic before the fall of the Berlin Wall. She studied chemistry at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and later completed her doctorate in chemistry at the University of Göttingen. Her professional career prior to politics included work as a research chemist and managing director of a chemical products company in Saxony.

Political career

Her political career began with her co-founding of the Alternative for Germany in 2013, initially a party focused on Eurozone skepticism. She quickly rose within the party ranks, becoming deputy federal spokeswoman and later chairwoman of the AfD in Saxony. In 2014, she was elected to the Saxon Landtag. During the European migrant crisis, she emerged as a dominant voice, leading the party's shift toward a harder line on immigration and national conservatism. She was elected federal chairwoman alongside Jörg Meuthen in 2015. Following the AfD's success in the 2017 German federal election, where it entered the Bundestag, she left the party's parliamentary group and resigned from the AfD, later founding the short-lived The Blue Party.

Political positions

Her political platform evolved from Euroscepticism to a strong emphasis on restrictive immigration policies, often advocating for measures such as turning back migrants at the German border. She frequently criticized Angela Merkel's refugee policy and called for a focus on German cultural identity. On economic issues, she supported ordoliberalism and was critical of the European Central Bank's monetary policy. Her positions often placed her at odds with more moderate factions within the AfD and aligned her with figures like Alexander Gauland and Björn Höcke.

Controversies

Her tenure was punctuated by numerous controversies, including a 2016 interview where she suggested police should use firearms against illegal migrants, a statement she later clarified. She faced significant criticism for meeting with members of the Identitarian movement and for remarks perceived as downplaying the Nazi era. Internal power struggles, particularly with co-chair Jörg Meuthen and the party's more radical Flügel faction, were constant. Her abrupt exit from the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag in 2017, just days after the election, was a major political scandal and led to her political marginalization.

Personal life

She has been married twice, first to fellow AfD politician Marcus Pretzell, with whom she has two children, and later to entrepreneur Sven Wagenknecht in 2024. She has four children in total. Since leaving politics, she has largely withdrawn from public life and has focused on private business activities. She remains a polarizing figure in discussions about the rise of right-wing populism in Germany.