Frauke Petry
Frauke Petry MdB a.D. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Petry in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of Die Blaue Partei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 14 October 2017 – 31 December 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Michael Muster Alexander Langguth Hubertus von Below | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Michael Muster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Position abolished | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Alternative for Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 4 July 2015 – 29 September 2017 Serving with Jörg Meuthen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Bernd Lucke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jörg Meuthen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Bundestag for Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 24 October 2017 – 26 October 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Klaus Brähmig | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Steffen Janich | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Frauke Marquardt 1 June 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Independent (2019–present) Blue Party (2017–2019) AfD (2013–2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | European Conservatives and Reformists | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouses |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | University of Reading University of Göttingen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Politician | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frauke Petry (German: [ˈfʁaʊkə ˈpeːtʁiː]; née Marquardt; born 1 June 1975) is a German far right politician who chaired the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from July 2015 to September 2017. A chemist by training and with a professional background as a businesswoman, some political scientists described Petry as a representative of the national conservative wing of that party.
Petry had formerly served as one of three party spokespersons from 2013 to 2015, and became leader in 2015, displacing the party's founder Bernd Lucke after an internal power struggle; Lucke subsequently left the party and said it has "fallen irretrievably into the wrong hands" after Petry's election. Petry left the party in turn after stating it had become "anarchical" and unable to provide a "credible platform".
Petry is noted for her anti-immigration and anti-Islamic views, for her calls to ban minarets, and for arguing that German police forces should "use firearms if necessary" to prevent illegal border-crossings in Europe. She led the Blue Party until its dissolution in late 2019.