The economist who founded Germany's AfD only to watch it turn against him

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Bernd Lucke, a professor of economics, helped launch the Alternative for Germany in 2013 to challenge the eurozone crisis. Yet, within two years, he was ousted by his own party. His trajectory from academic to political founder and eventual target reveals the volatile nature of modern European political movements.

Born in West Berlin in 1962, Bernd Lucke built a career as an economist, holding positions at the University of Hamburg and advising the World Bank. His political journey began in the Christian Democratic Union, where he remained for thirty years until 2011. He eventually left the party in protest against its eurozone rescue policies, setting the stage for his later activism.

In 2013, Lucke co-founded Wahlalternative 2013, which soon became the Alternative for Germany (AfD). At the party's founding, he famously labeled the euro a historic mistake. By 2014, he was elected as a Member of the European Parliament. However, internal friction grew as the party shifted toward more extremist positions. In July 2015, Lucke lost a leadership election to Frauke Petry. He subsequently resigned, claiming the party had fallen into the wrong hands and adopted anti-foreigner, pro-Russian stances that challenged the democratic system.

Following his departure, Lucke founded new parties, including the Alliance for Progress and Renewal, later renamed Liberal-Konservative Reformer. His political influence waned, and he lost his seat in the 2019 European Parliament election. Returning to academia, he faced significant backlash, including protests and physical confrontations from activists who held him responsible for the rise of the far-right. Despite his efforts to distance himself from the AfD, which he later supported monitoring for extremist elements, his academic career remained shadowed by his past political involvement.

Lucke’s career illustrates the complexities of political entrepreneurship. While he initially sought to provide a platform for legitimate economic concerns, the party he helped build evolved in directions he publicly rejected. His experience highlights the difficulty of controlling the trajectory of populist movements once they gain momentum, as well as the lasting personal and professional consequences of entering the political arena.

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