Advertising

'Perfect fig leaf': German AfD leader Alice Weidel helps 'normalise' her far-fight party

Europe

AfD leader Alice Weidel saw her far-right party surge in Germany's legislative elections on Sunday with its best-ever showing at 19.7 percent. As an openly gay politician who lives with her Sri Lanka-born partner, Weidel has an atypical profile for a far-right, anti-immigration politician, which critics say has helped normalise her party. 

Alice Weidel, top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany, calls for the 'total closing of Germany's borders' and 'large-scale repatriations' of irregular immigrants.
Alice Weidel, top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, calls for the "total closing of Germany's borders" and "large-scale repatriations" of irregular immigrants. © Jens Schlueter, AFP

Alice Weidel was an unusual choice to lead Germany's far-right AfD into Sunday's elections, where it scored its best-ever result.

To her legions of political foes, Weidel serves as a "fig leaf" for a party that has railed against asylum seekers, Islam and multiculturalism and some of whose top figures have voiced revisionist views on Germany's Nazi past.

On Sunday, the 46-year-old, who says Margaret Thatcher is her political idol, led the Moscow-friendly AfD to a record result of around 20 percent.

Germany: AfD's national election results.
Germany: AfD's national election results. © Cléa Peculier, Sabrina Blanchard, Yann Schreiber, AFP

She told jubilant supporters that the "historic result" showed that the party was on a path to government, if not now then at the next election expected in four years.

Ahead of the vote, Weidel basked in the vocal support of US President Donald Trump's key allies – especially tech billionaire Elon Musk – as well as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Often sporting a pearl necklace and a trouser suit, she was the first AfD politician to be invited to a pre-election TV debate where she sparred with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his main rival, the conservative Friedrich Merz

Police in Hamburg during a mass demonstration against an AfD campaign event on January 16, 2025.
Police in Hamburg during a mass demonstration against an AfD campaign event on January 16, 2025. © Axel Heimken, AFP

All of this has contributed to the "normalisation" of a party, said "Der Spiegel" magazine, after the AfD was long kept at arm's length by the majority of German voters and protested against by thousands on the streets.

"Under Alice Weidel, the party has lost its horror for many voters, and Weidel's numerous TV appearances have accelerated the normalisation of the AfD," it said.

Weidel in January took part in a livestream on X with Musk, who has enthusiastically supported the AfD as the only party that can "save Germany".

Read moreGermany's far-right AfD basks in spotlight of Musk support

In the meandering conversation, they railed against "woke" policies before chatting about Musk's plans to settle Mars and Germany's dark history, with Weidel insisting Hitler was a "communist" despite his well-documented hatred of communism, including imprisoning communists in concentration camps. 

'Uncrowned queen'

In February, Weidel was invited to a private meeting with US Vice President JD Vance who was in Germany for the Munich Security Conference.

Vance had boosted the AfD in a blistering speech there in which he called on Germany to drop its long-standing "firewall" that aims to isolate the AfD.

Read moreVance meets leader of Germany's far-right AfD, attacks European 'firewalls' against populism

Seeking support from foreign right-wing leaders, Weidel also recently made an appearance in Budapest with Orban, who described her as "the future of Germany".

Weidel in Budapest with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on February 12, 2025.
Weidel in Budapest with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on February 12, 2025. © Attila Kisbenedek, AFP

"This election campaign has made it clear that (Weidel) is the uncrowned queen of the AfD," said Wolfgang Schroeder, a politics professor at Kassel University.

"Her visibility has grown enormously. This has also given her more power within her own party."

Weidel was born and educated in western Germany, making her an oddity in the AfD, whose core voter base is in the country's formerly communist east.

She later lived in China, working at Bank of China, before moving on to Goldman Sachs.

Weidel first joined the AfD in 2013, the year it was founded. Unlike many other early members who quit as it became more overtly xenophobic, she stayed. 

Weidel represents a wing of the AfD that "aspires to an independent existence to the right of the conservatives, with the possibility of forming a coalition", said Schroeder.

As a West German and a gay woman, Weidel has had "some problems connecting with the ideology of her party", said political scientist Anna-Sophie Heinze from Trier University.

Weidel during a parliament debate on immigration on January 31, 2025.
Weidel during a parliament debate on immigration on January 31, 2025. © Odd Andersen, AFP

'Remigration'

Der Spiegel said Weidel is "the perfect fig leaf" for the party, which is considered by Germany's domestic security service to be right-wing extremist in parts.

"If someone accuses the AfD of being misogynistic, homophobic or racist, they can say they have Weidel, so the AfD cannot be all of those things, even though it is," the magazine said.

While Weidel has never hidden her relationship with her partner, with whom she is raising two sons, she has distanced herself from the broader LGBTQ movement.

At a party conference in January, she rejected accusations that she has failed to engage with the movement, charging that her critics "have no idea at all about the reality of my life".

A demonstration under the motto 'Block Alice Weidel'  in Neu-Isenburg on February 1, 2025.
A demonstration under the motto 'Block Alice Weidel' in Neu-Isenburg on February 1, 2025. © Kirill Kudryavtsev, AFP

"And I must honestly say that I will not tolerate any interference in my life or my family," she said.

Despite presenting a more moderate face for the far-right party, Weidel has not shied away from some of its most radical positions when firing up party members.

Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, addresses an election campaign rally in Halle, eastern Germany on January 25, 2025.
Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, addresses an election campaign rally in Halle, eastern Germany on January 25, 2025. © AFP

At the AfD congress, Weidel vowed that a government that includes the AfD would force the "total closing of Germany's borders" as well as "large-scale repatriations".

"I say to you quite honestly, if this must be called remigration, then let it be called remigration."

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)