How a lesbian living with a migrant “fixes” the image of Germany's far right

In February 2025, the pro-Russian far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) will, for the first time, enter elections with its own candidate for chancellor. AfD has no chance of joining the government after this electoral cycle. The decision to officially nominate a candidate signals the party's serious intent to claim power in Germany.

AfD's strategists believe that after the 2025 elections, the party has a real chance of taking control by 2029. Read more about the person who will become the face of the Alternative for Germany campaign over the next two months in the article by Khrystyna Bondarieva, a European Pravda journalist - A mother, a lesbian and a 'friend of Putin': all about Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany's far right Advertisement:

The face of AfD's campaign in the coming months is Alice Weidel, a controversial figure even for such a polarising and scandal-prone party. Weidel, a 45-year-old economist and co-leader of AfD, stands out in a male-dominated party that opposes migration and same-sex partnerships. She is an openly lesbian woman living in a registered partnership with a migrant, raising children abroad.

Her background is equally complex: Weidel's grandfather was a member of the Nazi Party and SS, serving as a military judge in Warsaw during WWII. Professionally, she has rarely stayed in one role for more than a year or two, with her longest tenure in China, where she learned to speak Mandarin. Ironically, her time there was supported by scholarships from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, linked to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) - AfD's current main rival.

Weidel divides her time between Switzerland and Germany nowadays, where she attends Bundestag sessions. Politically, she admires Margaret Thatcher, endorsing low taxes, cuts to social spending, and privatisation - ideas she has embraced as AfD's candidate. "I am impressed by her biography, her willingness to swim against the current, even when things became uncomfortable.

Thatcher took charge of Britain when the country was in economic decline and put it back on the right track," Weidel says, drawing parallels to her current position and the present economic situation in Germany. Weidel has consistently advocated for EU reform and, if such reforms fail, she supports pursuing a Dexit. As a proponent of traditional energy sources, Weidel openly leans toward Russia.

She calls for unhindered trade with Russia and the immediate lifting of anti-Russian sanctions for the sake of "affordable" energy supplies. These points are also included in the AfD election programme, alongside demands to repair the Nord Stream pipeline and expand Germany's economic relations with the Eurasian Economic Union. As for the stance of the leader of Germany's number-one pro-Russian party on the Russia-Ukraine war, it is unlikely to surprise Ukrainians.

Weidel advocates for the immediate cessation of both military and financial aid to Ukraine and does not envision the country as a future member of the EU or NATO. Fortunately, following this campaign, Alternative for Germany will not be part of the government. However, the party believes it has a strong chance of coming to power in 2029.

The selection of Alice Weidel as the new face of the party may mark the beginning of a move in this direction.

If you notice an error, select the required text and press Ctrl + Enter to report it to the editors.