In the ARD summer interview on Sunday, AfD leader Alice Weidel provoked people with a statement about the Second World War – and only received objections afterwards.
Berlin – The influence of Alternative for Germany (AfD) is growing and so is concern about it in the rest of the party landscape. Apparently rightly so, as was evident in the ARD summer interview with AfD leader Alice Weidel showed again on Sunday (September 10th). The chairwoman of the right-wing populist to right-wing extremist party described the end of the Second World War not as liberation from the National Socialists, but as the “defeat of Germany”. The statement initially went uncommented in the conversation itself, but subsequently caused outrage.
End of the Second World War: Alice Weidel speaks of “Germany’s defeat”
The ARD summer interview addressed, among other things, the question of why Alice Weidel, unlike her co-chair Tino Chrupalla, did not attend the reception at the Russian embassy in Berlin in May when the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany was celebrated there. The Ukraine war The politician did not give the reason. Instead, she said she decided not to attend for “political reasons.” “So celebrating the defeat of your own country with a former occupying power is something that I personally decided not to take part in – also with my father’s escape story,” said Weidel.
Criticism came from Family Minister Lisa Paus Greens. “Weidel presents the liberation of Nazi Germany by the Allies as a defeat for Germany,” wrote the Green politician on X (formerly Twitter) and warned of a resurgence of fascism in this country. The Left-Bundestag member Susanne Ferschl was “very irritated” by the “misconception of history that the liberation of Germany from the Nazis was a defeat.” as she wrote on X. At the same time, she criticized the fact that the statement initially went completely uncommented. “This contributes to the right-wing shift in discourse,” says Ferschl.
AfD reaches new poll high: Weidel keeps his candidacy for chancellor open
The AfD has been making regular gains in surveys for months. In the most recent survey, the right-wing populist party was the second strongest force nationwide with 21 percent, behind the CDU (26 percent). The SPD got 17 percent, the Greens received 14 percent of the vote, the FDP eight percent and the Left six percent, like one Ipsos survey last Friday showed.
If it becomes apparent that the AfD is the second strongest force, “of course we also have to claim leadership,” said Alice Weidel about the survey results in the ARD summer interview. “And we do that too,” said the AfD leader. The question of a candidacy for chancellor or a fighting candidacy is “still completely open”. This should be decided at the party conference at the end of June next year, Weidel continued.
The next federal election in Germany will take place in 2025. All other parties reject cooperation with the AfD. “The AfD is not a normal party. She wants to undermine our democracy. She despises them,” said SPD parliamentary secretary Katja Mast on Monday to the AFP news agency in Berlin.
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