Alice Weidel against Chancellor: only AfD hinders Merkel’s crown policy

Acute criticism of the Chancellor: Alice Weidel, Afd parliamentary group leader.

Clemens Bilan / EPA

Alice Weidel complained in her speech in the Bundestag on Thursday about “government sponsorship”. In peppery votes, he criticized the crown measures, which were whipped the night before by Chancellor Angela Merkel in a conference with the country’s 16 leaders.

The AfD co-leader came to the lectern right after the Chancellor had spoken. As the representative of the largest opposition party in parliament, the Alternative for Germany has the privilege of opposing the speeches of the head of government first. “Can’t you really understand how condescending and painful it is to adult and responsible citizens,” Weidel muttered at Merkel’s speech, “when the state is housekeeper and presumes to kindly allocate what should still be allowed on holidays?”

Applause for the 41-year-old exclusively from the AfD ranks. Of course, the FDP also criticized parts of the measures, as well as the left party. But no party opposes the crown strategy as resolutely as the AfD. “The collateral damage to your policy is already greater than the damage caused by the virus,” grumbled Weidel.

Slipped into the single-digit range

However, the party fails to score points with its anti-course with that part of the population for which the measures go too far. The party is largely responsible for not being able to make better use of its starting position in parliament. A year ago it was comfortably in the double-digit range in the polls, now it has slipped below 10 percent less than a year before the next federal election.

The pandemic plays in the hands of the executive. But the government bonus alone is not the reason for the AfD’s weakness. The party is harming itself with directional clashes: in the spring the AfD dissolved the wing around Thuringian AfD boss Björn Höcke, who was classified by the protection of the constitution as a right-wing extremist. But the dissolution of an internal party grouping that is not clearly defined does not help to achieve a bourgeois face as long as the “wing” exponents continue to have a say and sometimes have a say.

Proximity to extreme groups discourages ordinary people

Last but not least, the proximity of some party exponents to extreme groups such as the Identity Movement has a deterrent effect on bourgeois voters. The Coronademos, which have taken place regularly since spring, are increasingly infiltrated by extremists – but at demonstrations, AfD members can often be seen in close proximity to extremists.

The fact that AfD members of the Bundestag last week granted right-wing troublemakers access to the Bundestag, where they had harassed several parliamentarians and Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, is seen as a taboo break in Germany.

On this Saturday, the AfD meets over 500 delegates at an amusement park in North Rhine-Westphalia for the party conference. The federal state has issued an exception for the great event in the Crown era. Group members must cover their mouths and noses with a mask. The Münster Higher Administrative Court rejected an AfD claim against the mask requirement.