Bundestag election 2025 Alice Weidel to become AfD candidate for chancellor
Politician Alice Weidel AfD at the final rally of the AFD in the election campaign for the state election in Thuringia. Erfurt, 31.08.2024.
Image: IMAGO/Panama Pictures
The Bavarian AfD state leader Stephan Protschka welcomes Alice Weidel's planned candidacy for chancellor (archive photo)
Image: dpa
Before the 2021 federal election, AfD members elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the "top duo". (archive image)
Image: dpa
Politician Alice Weidel AfD at the final rally of the AFD in the election campaign for the state election in Thuringia. Erfurt, 31.08.2024.
Image: IMAGO/Panama Pictures
The Bavarian AfD state leader Stephan Protschka welcomes Alice Weidel's planned candidacy for chancellor (archive photo)
Image: dpa
Before the 2021 federal election, AfD members elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the "top duo". (archive image)
Image: dpa
The committees still have to give their approval, but there is already an agreement among the AfD leadership: Alice Weidel is to lead the party into the 2025 federal elections.
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- After consultation with the party leadership, AfD leader Alice Weidel is to become her party's candidate for chancellor in the 2025 federal elections in the fall.
- Although she has no fear of contact with the far-right wing of the AfD, she is not directly associated with it.
- The party committees would still have to approve the official nomination.
AfD leader Alice Weidel is to become her party's candidate for chancellor. A corresponding agreement between Weidel and her co-chairman Tino Chrupalla was confirmed by the party on Friday.
According to a party statement, the two co-chairs had discussed the issue of running for chancellor in 2025 on Wednesday. They agreed that Chrupalla would propose Weidel as candidate for chancellor to the AfD's federal executive committee at the beginning of December. The party committees would still have to approve the official nomination.
State leader welcomes "good decision"
Bavarian state chairman Stephan Protschka told dpa: "This is a good decision. With our candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, we (the CDU/CSU's candidate for chancellor) Friedrich Merz and the CDU/CSU will be on our heels." According to information from party circles, several AfD state spokespersons were informed by Chrupalla by telephone on Friday. He expects "an exciting duel" between Weidel and Merz, said Markus Frohnmaier, co-chairman of the Baden-Württemberg AfD state association.
This is the first time that the AfD has nominated a candidate for chancellor. Prior to the 2021 federal election, AfD members elected Weidel and Chrupalla as the "top duo" without nominating either of them as a candidate for chancellor. The party achieved a 10.4 percent share of the vote. It is currently polling between 17 and 18 percent. The next general election is scheduled for fall 2025.
Politically, there have been no discernible differences of opinion between Weidel and Chrupalla so far. Both have no fear of contact with the far-right wing of the AfD, although they are not directly associated with it. It is said in the party that Weidel is particularly eloquent.
Chrupalla had already made hints
Chrupalla had already emphasized in the summer that there would be a chancellor candidacy for the first time. At the time, he also indicated in an ARD interview that he would give Weidel the edge. "Alice Weidel would be a very good candidate for chancellor, which I would also support," Chrupalla said at the time. However, he was not prejudging any decisions. "In the end, a party conference or the grassroots of our party will decide," Chrupalla emphasized at the time.
Stephan Brandner, member of the Bundestag, pointed out that this was initially only an agreement between Weidel and Chrupalla. This would now have to be confirmed by the party's committees. The federal party's statement said: "On December 7, the state spokespersons will be involved in the decision-making process, followed by the party's convention at the beginning of 2025. The aim is to present this proposal to the federal party conference for a unanimous vote in April 2025."
Together with Chrupalla at the top
Chrupalla and Weidel were re-elected as leaders for a further two years by a federal party conference at the end of June. According to the AfD's count, almost 83 percent voted for Chrupalla, while Weidel received almost 80 percent of votes in favor. The AfD does not count abstentions.
It had long been clear to Chrupalla that the party would put forward a candidate for chancellor. "Because I think that's what the voters expect," he said on ARD. The AfD would have to launch a "frontal attack" on the federal government in the election. And even then he said: "You can assume that there will be no power struggle and no dispute."
dpa
