;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=84d9b04187c238bca0e35561ff9a8f5d52048777b114e2fc4956a251993297f9 "British magazine with Weidel forecast: “Begins to shape German politics”")
Max Rodenbeck, head of the Berlin office of the British business magazine “The Economist” speaks in „The Intelligence“-Podcasts the newspaper about the possible development of the right-wing populist AfD. His conclusion: Weidel and her party will also become better known internationally in the next few years.
“It looks like her face will become more and more familiar internationally,” said Rodenbeck. In the coming years there will be EU and three state elections in the east (Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia). The AfD is particularly strong in eastern German states and could achieve high results there. This could also have an impact on the 2025 federal election.
Weidel is a “contradiction” to the AfD
Weidel could be responsible for the poll high, as the expert says: “Weidel is a person who is actually starting to shape German politics on a large scale.” Nevertheless, he admits that the politician is a “contradiction” to the party line. She is female, lesbian, academic and comes from West Germany. “Her entry into the party seems to have given the AfD a boost of energy,” analyzes “The Economist” journalist.
According to Rodenbeck, the AfD is perceived abroad as a party that attracts votes with self-pity, alarmism, anti-foreigner sentiment and nationalism. “This is well received not only by the party base, but also by a growing number of other Germans,” he says. The AfD is playing with “tensions and fears” that many Germans would feel. With a view to the upcoming federal election, he is sure that Weidel and Chrupalla will be a “serious force to be reckoned with.”