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Germany finds itself in the thick of its final sprint towards the general elections this coming Sunday. Amidst economic stagnation, heated immigration debates, and mounting concern about the rapidly souring transatlantic ties with the Trump-led U.S., the country is buzzing. During a high-stakes, four-way televised debate, the co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) described Donald Trump as the ideal figure to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine, urging Germany to take on the role of an unbiased mediator.
The AfD candidate, Alice Weidel, found herself under intense scrutiny during the two-hour prime time event. Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck from the Green Party, and Christian Democratic leader Friedrich Merz homed in on Weidel, pressing her on the Ukraine conflict and her party’s historical links to Nazi ideologies.
Emboldened by U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s support, which she received on the fringes of the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Weidel has been vocal about having allies like Vance. The 46-year-old recounted Vance’s speech calling on European politicians to engage with far-right, anti-establishment parties rather than isolate them. “Vance pointed out that shutting out millions of voters right from the start isn’t the solution. He emphasized the need for dialogue,” Weidel said.
With her party anticipated to capture a groundbreaking 20 percent of the vote on February 23, Weidel has leaned into the backing from the U.S. since Trump’s power re-emergence. Elon Musk, a close advisor to Trump, frequently uses his influence on social media platform X to elevate the AfD, despite the party facing scrutiny from Germany’s intelligence community for suspected extremist affiliations. Weidel also found a platform in Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán dubbed her “the future.”
This endorsement from Vance, coupled with a deliberate snub to Scholz in Munich, has stirred up tension within Germany’s mainstream parties, all of which have categorically refused any coalition with the AfD. The simmering frustration was evident throughout Sunday’s debate.
Merz, with his CDU party projected to clinch the election with roughly 30 percent of the votes, didn’t mince words. He criticized Weidel for harboring extremists within the party, such as Björn Höcke. Höcke, who secured a regional election win in Thuringia last autumn, is notorious enough that invoking the Nazi label against him is boldly sustained. His recent conviction for intentionally using prohibited Nazi rhetoric further fuels the fire.
Scholz chipped in firmly, reminding Weidel that, “Germany’s proud legacy involves learning vital lessons from our past, particularly National Socialism. This leaves no room for collaboration with far-right extremists.” Weidel retorted, “I find these allegations outrageous. Hurl whatever insults you want tonight, but remember, you’re belittling millions of voters.”
The shadow of Vance’s blunt talk at the Munich gathering, coupled with Trump’s unilateral attempts to broker peace with Putin sans Kyiv and Europe’s consult, cast long. This sense of urgency electrified their discourse on whether to ramp up defense spending and the implications of deploying troops to Ukraine under future security deals, a subject poised for dialog at an assembly hosted by France’s Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday.
Habeck did not hold back, expressing, “Each move by the Trump administration represents an overt challenge to the West’s shared values, a matter demanding gravest attention.” Merz seized upon Scholz’s perceived inaction, contending the Chancellor allowed Macron to lead the EU’s retort to Trump’s peace overtures, and even accused Scholz of postponing military aid to Ukraine for political leverage.
Throughout the debate, the array of issues from immigration to the economy saw one sharp focal point: Chancellor hopefuls directing their fiercest jabs at Weidel. Scholz directly addressed her proposition of nonalignment in the Ukraine conflict, asserting, “Neutrality isn’t an option here. Our allegiance lies decisively with Ukraine, as we collectively uphold our political order.”
