AfD Chief Alice Weidel Enhances Global Profile Through Meeting with Viktor Orban
Despite being sidelined by the leaders of the far-left coalition, the AfD’s involvement in facilitating a parliamentary motion and its growing international connections demonstrate its rising influence in the political arena.
Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, is scheduled to meet with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, following an invitation revealed on Monday.
This meeting marks a notable increase in the international acceptance of the AfD, which has previously been marginalized due to its contentious nationalist views.
Orban, recognized for his anti-immigration policies and support for revitalizing energy connections with Russia, stated that the proposal for this meeting originated from Weidel.
In an interview with Switzerland's Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Orban acknowledged the growing importance of the AfD in German politics, estimating that the party could secure up to 20% of the vote in the forthcoming national election on February 23. Historically, Orban has distanced himself from the AfD to preserve ties with Germany’s mainstream political factions, which label the AfD as politically toxic.
The party is currently monitored by German security agencies due to worries over purported extremist inclinations.
Nonetheless, recent events, including Donald Trump's return to the White House—supported by both Orban and the AfD—seem to have altered the diplomatic dynamics.
Weidel’s party aligns with Orban’s positions on restricting immigration, particularly from Muslim-majority nations, and re-establishing relations with Russia despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The AfD has also seen a significant rise in financial support.
The German parliament recently reported that the party received a donation of 2.3 million euros on February 1 from a far-right Austrian politician, marking its largest single donation to date.
This followed two individual donations in January from German entrepreneurs, amounting to nearly 2.5 million euros, exceeding total annual contributions from previous years in its decade-long history.
Elon Musk, who is spearheading efforts to streamline the U.S. federal government, has also expressed support for the AfD.
Musk, the richest person in the world, declared on his social media platform X that “only the AfD can save Germany” and subsequently hosted Weidel for a one-hour discussion.
In Germany, the AfD currently ranks second in polls behind Friedrich Merz’s conservative coalition.
However, the party's chances of joining the government remain slim, as mainstream parties continue to exclude it from coalition negotiations.
The so-called “firewall” surrounding the AfD weakened last week when a parliamentary motion passed with the party's backing, marking the first occurrence of this nature in postwar German history.
This incident provoked nationwide protests and resignations within Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had proposed the motion.
The forthcoming meeting between Weidel and Orban highlights the evolving political landscape and the AfD’s growing influence on the international stage, as it aims to capitalize on support from prominent figures and institutions to advance its domestic and foreign policy goals.
This meeting marks a notable increase in the international acceptance of the AfD, which has previously been marginalized due to its contentious nationalist views.
Orban, recognized for his anti-immigration policies and support for revitalizing energy connections with Russia, stated that the proposal for this meeting originated from Weidel.
In an interview with Switzerland's Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Orban acknowledged the growing importance of the AfD in German politics, estimating that the party could secure up to 20% of the vote in the forthcoming national election on February 23. Historically, Orban has distanced himself from the AfD to preserve ties with Germany’s mainstream political factions, which label the AfD as politically toxic.
The party is currently monitored by German security agencies due to worries over purported extremist inclinations.
Nonetheless, recent events, including Donald Trump's return to the White House—supported by both Orban and the AfD—seem to have altered the diplomatic dynamics.
Weidel’s party aligns with Orban’s positions on restricting immigration, particularly from Muslim-majority nations, and re-establishing relations with Russia despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The AfD has also seen a significant rise in financial support.
The German parliament recently reported that the party received a donation of 2.3 million euros on February 1 from a far-right Austrian politician, marking its largest single donation to date.
This followed two individual donations in January from German entrepreneurs, amounting to nearly 2.5 million euros, exceeding total annual contributions from previous years in its decade-long history.
Elon Musk, who is spearheading efforts to streamline the U.S. federal government, has also expressed support for the AfD.
Musk, the richest person in the world, declared on his social media platform X that “only the AfD can save Germany” and subsequently hosted Weidel for a one-hour discussion.
In Germany, the AfD currently ranks second in polls behind Friedrich Merz’s conservative coalition.
However, the party's chances of joining the government remain slim, as mainstream parties continue to exclude it from coalition negotiations.
The so-called “firewall” surrounding the AfD weakened last week when a parliamentary motion passed with the party's backing, marking the first occurrence of this nature in postwar German history.
This incident provoked nationwide protests and resignations within Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which had proposed the motion.
The forthcoming meeting between Weidel and Orban highlights the evolving political landscape and the AfD’s growing influence on the international stage, as it aims to capitalize on support from prominent figures and institutions to advance its domestic and foreign policy goals.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
