Alice Weidel embodies one of the strangest contradictions in European politics.She leads a party fiercely opposed to mass immigration, yet her partner is Sri Lanka-born. She is in a same-sex relationship while leading a political movement that has championed the traditional heterosexual family. She raises children with her partner while her party has fought liberalisation of family policy. And the woman selling German nationalism has spent significant parts of her private life in Switzerland.Then there is economics. The former investment banker carries distinctly market-oriented instincts while commanding a populist movement drawing heavily from workers who feel abandoned by Germany's political and economic establishment.Welcome to the paradox of Germany's Alternative für Deutschland.Except the AfD is no longer merely an alternative.It is becoming a dominant political force.In Saxony-Anhalt, voters handed the AfD an extraordinary 43.8 per cent of the vote. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU managed just 17.2 per cent. The AfD secured 39 of the state parliament's 83 seats — short of governing alone, but comfortably the largest party.The political shockwaves have reached Berlin.Merz described himself as deeply shocked and acknowledged a devastating defeat. Former chancellor Angela Merkel has also reacted with dismay. Meanwhile, thousands have taken to German streets protesting the AfD's advance.But protests cannot erase ballots.And that presents Europe's liberal establishment with an uncomfortable democratic dilemma.If an election is free and fair, what happens when voters choose the political movement the establishment has spent years warning them against?AfD's opponents have legitimate concerns. Germany's history makes scrutiny of extremist rhetoric especially important. Its Saxony-Anhalt branch has been classified as right-wing extremist by the state's domestic intelligence authorities.But condemning a political movement is not the same thing as understanding why people vote for it.Immigration. Economic insecurity. National identity. Cultural anxiety. Anger at established politicians. Frustration with institutions voters believe no longer listen to them.These forces are not confined to Germany.Across Europe, nationalist and right-wing populist movements have moved from the political fringes towards government, parliament and increasingly the mainstream.Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump's movement speaks much of the same political language: borders, sovereignty, cultural conservatism, national pride and rebellion against an establishment accused of abandoning ordinary citizens.Yet there is a crucial difference.

America's populist Right captured one of the country's two dominant political parties. Europe's insurgent Right operates through multiple parties and political systems, often confronting coalition barriers designed to keep it away from executive power.And inevitably, Germany's history hangs over this debate.Comparisons with the interwar years must be handled carefully. Europe in 2026 is not Europe in 1933. Its constitutions, institutions and political conditions are fundamentally different, and today's right-wing movements cannot simply be labelled replicas of twentieth-century fascism.But history offers warnings rather than photocopies.Economic anxiety, resentment towards political elites, arguments over national identity, hostility towards outsiders and the conviction that existing institutions no longer represent ordinary citizens all existed in Europe's darkest political periods.That does not mean history is repeating itself.It means politicians would be foolish not to listen when history rhymes.The lesson from Saxony-Anhalt therefore extends far beyond the AfD.Europe's establishment can build firewalls. It can organise protests. It can condemn extremists and challenge rhetoric that threatens minorities or democratic institutions.But none of those things answers the most important question:Why are so many voters moving Right in the first place?Until Europe's political centre answers that question convincingly, the insurgency will continue.The Right is no longer knocking on Europe's door.Voters are increasingly handing it the keys.

AfD's opponents have legitimate concerns. Germany's history makes scrutiny of extremist rhetoric especially important. Its Saxony-Anhalt branch has been classified as right-wing extremist by the state's domestic intelligence authorities.

Alice Weidel embodies one of the strangest contradictions in European politics. She leads a party fiercely opposed to mass immigration, yet her partner is Sri Lanka-born. She is in a same-sex relationship while leading a political movement that has championed the traditional heterosexual family. She raises children with her partner while her party has fought liberalisation of family policy. And the woman selling German nationalism has spent significant parts of her private life in Switzerland. Then there is economics. The former investment banker carries distinctly market-oriented instincts while commanding a populist movement drawing heavily from workers who feel abandoned by Germany's political and economic establishment. Welcome to the paradox of Germany's Alternative für Deutschland. Except the AfD is no longer merely an alternative. It is becoming a dominant political force. In Saxony-Anhalt, voters handed the AfD an extraordinary 43.8 per cent of the vote. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU managed just 17.2 per cent. The AfD secured 39 of the state parliament's 83 seats — short of governing alone, but comfortably the largest party. The political shockwaves have reached Berlin. Merz described himself as deeply shocked and acknowledged a devastating defeat. Former chancellor Angela Merkel has also reacted with dismay. Meanwhile, thousands have taken to German streets protesting the AfD's advance. But protests cannot erase ballots. And that presents Europe's liberal establishment with an uncomfortable democratic dilemma. If an election is free and fair, what happens when voters choose the political movement the establishment has spent years warning them against? AfD's opponents have legitimate concerns. Germany's history makes scrutiny of extremist rhetoric especially important. Its Saxony-Anhalt branch has been classified as right-wing extremist by the state's domestic intelligence authorities. But condemning a political movement is not the same thing as understanding why people vote for it. Immigration. Economic insecurity. National identity. Cultural anxiety. Anger at established politicians. Frustration with institutions voters believe no longer listen to them. These forces are not confined to Germany. Across Europe, nationalist and right-wing populist movements have moved from the political fringes towards government, parliament and increasingly the mainstream. Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump's movement speaks much of the same political language: borders, sovereignty, cultural conservatism, national pride and rebellion against an establishment accused of abandoning ordinary citizens. Yet there is a crucial difference.

AfD's opponents have legitimate concerns. Germany's history makes scrutiny of extremist rhetoric especially important. Its Saxony-Anhalt branch has been classified as right-wing extremist by the state's domestic intelligence authorities.

Europe turns right: The revolution the establishment cannot ignore | The Verdict

AfD, which secured a dramatic victory at the September 2026 Saxony-Anhalt state election, is driven by politics of anti-immigrant and anti-same-sex marriage, which are sometimes considered outright racist. Alice Weidel, the co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party who had been at the centre of the party's rise, has been a controversial figure, not because of her speeches but because of her homosexual identity.<h2>Who is Alice Weidel?</h2>The 45-year-old is married to a Sri Lankan-born woman, a filmmaker and is raising two children, primarily in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. Weidel described her upbringing as highly political. Her parents did not belong to any political party, but her grandfather was a prominent Nazi judge, according to the German newspaper Die Welt and her family was expelled from Silesia, now in Poland, after World War Two.&nbsp;She studied Business and economics and joined Goldman Sachs, grew bored and moved to China, where she learned Mandarin and got a doctorate in the Chinese pension system while working as a Business Consultant.She joined AfD in 2013 during the Eurozone bailout; her party opposed it vehemently. Soon, the party started to take more anti-immigration stances. Weidel modelled herself around the economic policies of the neoliberal British leader Margaret Thatcher and argued for a Brexit-style referendum on EU membership.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/peskov-russia-brics-transactions-national-currencies-1788862059036">BRICS 2026: Russia says over 90% of Russia-BRICS trade settled in national currencies</a>In 2016, the party shifted from conservative economic and immigration policies to a more neo-conservative position with the adoption of the Stuttgart Manifesto- the party's first formal manifesto. It identified family exclusively as a mother, father, and children. It introduced proposals such as stopping sexual diversity education in schools as “early sexualisation”. They formally declared opposition to full marriage equality.Alice's own sexual identity becomes paradoxical in AfD. The co-leader of an anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ party, AfD – with which the mainstream right in Germany is hesitant to associate – is herself homosexual and married to an immigrant.&nbsp;When confronted about why, as a lesbian woman, she is a member of a homophobic party, she said that because she is a lesbian and co-leader of AfD is a political message. According to her, violence against gays comes especially from ‘Muslim gangs’, they will provide safety to homosexuals by tackling the immigration problem.&nbsp;

Alice Weidel, AfD co-leader, has emerged as a key figure in Germany's far-right rise despite being openly lesbian and married to an immigrant.

AfD, which secured a dramatic victory at the September 2026 Saxony-Anhalt state election, is driven by politics of anti-immigrant and anti-same-sex marriage, which are sometimes considered outright racist. Alice Weidel, the co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party who had been at the centre of the party's rise, has been a controversial figure, not because of her speeches but because of her homosexual identity. Who is Alice Weidel? The 45-year-old is married to a Sri Lankan-born woman, a filmmaker and is raising two children, primarily in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. Weidel described her upbringing as highly political. Her parents did not belong to any political party, but her grandfather was a prominent Nazi judge, according to the German newspaper Die Welt and her family was expelled from Silesia, now in Poland, after World War Two. She studied Business and economics and joined Goldman Sachs, grew bored and moved to China, where she learned Mandarin and got a doctorate in the Chinese pension system while working as a Business Consultant. She joined AfD in 2013 during the Eurozone bailout; her party opposed it vehemently. Soon, the party started to take more anti-immigration stances. Weidel modelled herself around the economic policies of the neoliberal British leader Margaret Thatcher and argued for a Brexit-style referendum on EU membership. Also Read: BRICS 2026: Russia says over 90% of Russia-BRICS trade settled in national currencies In 2016, the party shifted from conservative economic and immigration policies to a more neo-conservative position with the adoption of the Stuttgart Manifesto- the party's first formal manifesto. It identified family exclusively as a mother, father, and children. It introduced proposals such as stopping sexual diversity education in schools as “early sexualisation”. They formally declared opposition to full marriage equality. Alice's own sexual identity becomes paradoxical in AfD. The co-leader of an anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ party, AfD – with which the mainstream right in Germany is hesitant to associate – is herself homosexual and married to an immigrant. When confronted about why, as a lesbian woman, she is a member of a homophobic party, she said that because she is a lesbian and co-leader of AfD is a political message. According to her, violence against gays comes especially from ‘Muslim gangs’, they will provide safety to homosexuals by tackling the immigration problem.

Alice Weidel, AfD co-leader, has emerged as a key figure in Germany's far-right rise despite being openly lesbian and married to an immigrant.

Who is Alice Weidel? The openly lesbian AfD leader driving Germany's far-right rise

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/elon-musk" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a> made an unexpected virtual appearance at a rally for Germany&rsquo;s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Saturday (Jan 25), reaffirming his support ahead of the country's snap election on February 23.&nbsp;
<h2>'AfD: The best hope for Germany'</h2>
Speaking to a crowd of 4,500 alongside party leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/following-scholzs-remarks-about-musk-at-wef-billionaire-calls-german-chancellor-oaf-schitz-8642037">Alice Weidel</a>, Musk called the AfD the &ldquo;best hope for Germany&rdquo; and urged people to move on from &ldquo;past guilt.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cia-covid-19-origin-lab-leak-donald-trumps-cia-pick-john-ratcliffe-takes-charge-8654524">CIA says lab leak 'more likely' origin of COVID-19, but with 'low confidence' as Ratcliffe takes charge</a>
Joining the event via video link, the Tesla CEO spoke about the importance of &ldquo;preserving German culture&rdquo; and &ldquo;protecting the German people.&rdquo; 
He added that pride in German values should not be diluted by multiculturalism. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,&rdquo; Musk said.
Musk also criticised Germany&rsquo;s government, accusing it of suppressing free speech. 
<h2>'Too much focus on past guilt'</h2>
Referencing the country&rsquo;s Nazi history, he said, &ldquo;Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents. There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that.&rdquo;
During his speech, Musk openly encouraged support for the AfD, saying, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very excited for the AfD. I think you&rsquo;re really the best hope for Germany&rsquo;s fight for a great future for Germany.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-anti-dei-order-grounds-documentary-of-tuskegee-airmen-and-female-wwii-pilots-8654667">Trump&rsquo;s anti-DEI order grounds documentary of Tuskegee Airmen and female WWII pilots</a>
Party co-leader Alice Weidel thanked Musk, adding, &ldquo;Make Germany great again!&rdquo;
The rally appearance follows a recent controversy surrounding Musk. Last week, the billionaire faced backlash after making a gesture that some online compared to a Nazi salute during an event for US President Donald Trump. 
Earlier this month, Musk hosted Weidel for an interview on his platform, X, sparking further concerns about interference in Germany&rsquo;s elections. During the interview, Musk questioned Weidel about allegations linking the AfD to Hitler&rsquo;s Nazi regime. In response, Weidel dismissed the claims, describing Hitler as a &ldquo;communist socialist guy&rdquo; and asserting that the AfD represents &ldquo;exactly the opposite.&rdquo;
Musk&rsquo;s endorsement of the AfD is part of a broader pattern of support for far-right leaders in Europe. He has previously voiced approval for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, though he later criticised Farage, claiming he &ldquo;doesn&rsquo;t have what it takes.&rdquo;
(With inputs from agencies)

World: Germany AfD: Referencing the country’s Nazi history, Musk said, “Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents.”

Elon Musk made an unexpected virtual appearance at a rally for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Saturday (Jan 25), reaffirming his support ahead of the country's snap election on February 23. 'AfD: The best hope for Germany' Speaking to a crowd of 4,500 alongside party leader Alice Weidel, Musk called the AfD the “best hope for Germany” and urged people to move on from “past guilt.” Also read: CIA says lab leak 'more likely' origin of COVID-19, but with 'low confidence' as Ratcliffe takes charge Joining the event via video link, the Tesla CEO spoke about the importance of “preserving German culture” and “protecting the German people.” He added that pride in German values should not be diluted by multiculturalism. “It’s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything,” Musk said. Musk also criticised Germany’s government, accusing it of suppressing free speech. 'Too much focus on past guilt' Referencing the country’s Nazi history, he said, “Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents. There is too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that.” During his speech, Musk openly encouraged support for the AfD, saying, “I’m very excited for the AfD. I think you’re really the best hope for Germany’s fight for a great future for Germany.” Also read: Trump’s anti-DEI order grounds documentary of Tuskegee Airmen and female WWII pilots Party co-leader Alice Weidel thanked Musk, adding, “Make Germany great again!” The rally appearance follows a recent controversy surrounding Musk. Last week, the billionaire faced backlash after making a gesture that some online compared to a Nazi salute during an event for US President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Musk hosted Weidel for an interview on his platform, X, sparking further concerns about interference in Germany’s elections. During the interview, Musk questioned Weidel about allegations linking the AfD to Hitler’s Nazi regime. In response, Weidel dismissed the claims, describing Hitler as a “communist socialist guy” and asserting that the AfD represents “exactly the opposite.” Musk’s endorsement of the AfD is part of a broader pattern of support for far-right leaders in Europe. He has previously voiced approval for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, though he later criticised Farage, claiming he “doesn’t have what it takes.” (With inputs from agencies)

'Make Germany great again': Elon Musk urges Germans to move beyond 'past guilt'

Elon Musk hosted an interview on Thursday with Alice Weidel, chancellor candidate for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, ahead of the country’s February national election. Watch this report for more details!

Elon Musk hosts far-right and leader Alice Weidel in virtual interview

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Europe turns right: The revolution the establishment cannot ignore | The Verdict

Alice Weidel- The openly lesbian AfD leader driving Germany's far-right rise

'Make Germany great again': Elon Musk urges Germans to move beyond 'past guilt'

Elon Musk hosts far-right and leader Alice Weidel in virtual interview