Federal election
AfD board nominates Alice Weidel as candidate for chancellor
She doesn’t have much of a chance. Nevertheless, Alice Weidel wants to run as the AfD’s candidate for chancellor. The AfD board has now made it official.
Alice Weidel is to lead the AfD as candidate for chancellor in the upcoming federal election. According to participants, the AfD federal executive board and the party’s state chairmen decided unanimously in Berlin to propose the 45-year-old for election at the upcoming party conference in Riesa in January. “Today is a big day for the party and a big day for Germany,” Weidel said at a joint press conference with her co-party leader Tino Chrupalla.
Alice Weidel speaks of a government mandate
We are in second place in the surveys and derive a government mandate from this, added Weidel. They want to bring Germany forward again. Chrupalla spoke of a historic day and a “campaign as a team with a striker”.
It is the first time in the AfD’s almost twelve-year history that it has named a candidate for chancellor. Weidel announced the plans when asked in an interview in the summer of 2023, when her party increasingly came into focus due to significantly increased poll numbers.
Nationwide, the AfD is currently between 18 and 19 percent, in second place behind the Union with 32 to 33 percent. After the traffic light goes out, an early election for the Bundestag is planned for February 23rd.
Since there are no majorities in sight for an AfD chancellor in the Bundestag because no party with the AfD would vote for it, Weidel’s candidacy is primarily symbolic. A candidate for chancellor can attract more media attention and possibly also mobilize more supporters.
sas / DPA
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
