Co-leader leaves far-right Alternative for Germany party

BERLIN (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany says its co-leader, a relative moderate, is leaving the party. It confirmed a report by public broadcaster ARD, but didn’t immediately say Friday why Joerg Meuthen was quitting. The 60-year-old was a prominent figure throughout the party’s nine-year history. Meuthen was considered one of the few relative moderates in a party that has increasingly tilted to the right since it was founded in 2013. ARD quoted Meuthen saying the party had clear “totalitarian” tendencies. The university economics professor is a member of the European Parliament.