@guardian: Alice Weidel is a politician of contradictions: a German nationalist who lives in Switzerland; a former investment banker who rails against elites; and a lesbian with two adopted sons, leading a party that defines a family as 'father, mother and children'. Yet she has risen to the top of Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), picked to be its candidate for chancellor in federal elections on Sunday. What began as a professors’ party opposing eurozone bailout packages has morphed in just 12 years into an ever more radical force, feeding on anti-migrant sentiment and incorporating neo-Nazis into its ranks. And in this tumultuous election campaign, which has been rocked by jaw-dropping US interference, a spate of violent attacks and rare fears for the country’s political stability, all eyes have been locked on Weidel’s party, even though they are most likely to finish second. In this video, our Berlin correspondent, Deborah Cole, takes a look at who Alice Weidel is, how she has brought the word ‘remigration’ back into mainstream politics and how her influence is helping to push politics in Germany further to the right. And for a deeper dive into why this election is so significant - tap the link in bio for our full visual explainer.

The Guardian

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Region: GB

Thursday 20 February 2025 16:46:16 GMT