Alice Weidel: The Unlikely Queen of Germany’s Far-Right AfD

BERLIN, Feb 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Alice Weidel, an openly gay politician living with her Sri Lankan-born partner in Switzerland, has emerged as an unexpected leader for Germany’s far-right and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Heading into Sunday’s elections, Weidel is set to guide the AfD to a record result, with polls predicting the party will secure second place with around 20 percent of the vote.

Despite her personal background, which contrasts sharply with the AfD’s often hardline and xenophobic positions, Weidel has managed to carve out a powerful role within the party. To her critics, she is seen as a “fig leaf” for a group known for its harsh rhetoric against asylum seekers, Islam, and multiculturalism, and whose top figures have voiced controversial views on Germany’s Nazi past. However, Weidel’s supporters argue that she is transforming the party into a more normalized political force.

Weidel, 46, cites former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as her political idol, and her campaign has been buoyed by endorsements from prominent figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s allies and tech billionaire Elon Musk. She has also garnered support from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Her appearances in media have raised her visibility, with Weidel becoming the first AfD politician invited to a pre-election TV debate where she sparred with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and conservative rival Friedrich Merz.

According to Der Spiegel, her frequent TV appearances have contributed to the “normalization” of the AfD, a party that has long been viewed with suspicion by much of the German electorate. “Under Alice Weidel, the party has lost its horror for many voters,” the magazine wrote, noting that her visible leadership has made the AfD appear less extreme to the general public.

Weidel’s influence has extended beyond Germany, with high-profile interactions such as a livestream on X with Musk, where they criticized “woke” policies. In this conversation, Weidel controversially stated that Hitler was a “communist,” adding to her polarizing image. In February, she met U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, where Vance voiced support for the AfD and called on Germany to drop its isolationist stance toward the party.

Weidel has also sought to cultivate ties with European right-wing leaders, including Orban, who described her as “the future of Germany.” According to political expert Wolfgang Schroeder, Weidel’s growing visibility has solidified her position as the “uncrowned queen” of the AfD, granting her greater power within the party.

Despite being a West German and an openly gay woman, Weidel has made significant inroads with the AfD’s core voter base, which is predominantly from the former communist east of the country. Having worked in China and at Goldman Sachs, Weidel’s background sets her apart from many other AfD members, some of whom have abandoned the party as it became increasingly xenophobic. She joined the AfD in 2013, the year it was founded, and has remained with the party ever since.

Weidel represents a faction within the AfD that seeks to position itself to the right of the conservative mainstream, with aspirations of forming a coalition government. Although her personal identity sometimes conflicts with the party’s more conservative views, Weidel has been able to navigate this contradiction to enhance her standing within the party.

Though Weidel has been accused of presenting a more moderate face for the AfD, she has not hesitated to adopt its more radical positions when addressing supporters. At a recent AfD congress, she declared that a future government including the AfD would close Germany’s borders entirely and implement “large-scale repatriations.” “If this must be called remigration, then let it be called remigration,” she stated.

Weidel’s leadership has drawn attention not only for her political stances but also for her ability to appeal to a broad spectrum of the far-right, showing how she has become a pivotal figure in reshaping the AfD’s image on the national stage.