AfD co-leader Alice Weidel on Ukraine, migration and Germany’s future | The Economist

Economic Crisis and Energy Policy

• Weidel asserts Germany requires a complete economic restructuring due to a "deep crisis," citing the highest energy costs globally and skyrocketing bankruptcy rates among German companies.
• She blames the "Energiewende" (energy transition) initiated by the Merkel government for destroying infrastructure, specifically the elimination of nuclear power (reducing 19 plants to zero).
• Weidel characterizes reliance on wind and solar as prone to "Dunkelflaute" (periods of low wind and sun), forcing Germany to import energy at "tremendously high prices."
• She identifies high bureaucracy and the lack of nuclear power as primary drivers of Germany's loss of international competitiveness.

Monetary Policy and Euro Stance

• Weidel states the AFD does not intend for Germany to leave the European Union but seeks to reform it into a "community of sovereign states" with a free trade area, rejecting a "Soviet-style" bureaucratic commission.
• She argues the Euro is not a stable currency because the member states do not constitute an "optimal currency area," leading to a highly inflated currency detrimental to the German economy.
• Weidel proposes a return to a stable currency, likely the Deutsche Mark, and advocates for rules-based institutions that do not inflate balance sheets.
• She warns of an impending bond market crisis due to high state debt in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, predicting rising interest rates.
• Weidel projects Germany's interest bill will double from €40 billion annually to over €80 billion within three years under current policies.

Fiscal Strategy and Social Welfare

• To fund tax cuts and pension reforms without increasing the deficit, Weidel proposes cutting €50 billion in social welfare payments (specifically to non-citizens), reducing development aid, and eliminating subsidies for the "failed" climate energy transition.
• Weidel outlines a three-pillar pension system replacing the current unsustainable model with capital-financed individual accounts and tax-free private pension schemes.
• She claims the AFD's fiscal plan is viable because "the numbers add up" through prioritization, though the interviewer notes that tax cuts for pensions technically increase the deficit in the short term.
• Weidel links fiscal irresponsibility to Chancellor Merz's "orgy of debt," citing the lifting of the debt brake to fund defense and climate projects.

Defense and Foreign Policy

• Weidel supports increased German defense spending but argues current funding is misdirected toward foreign aid for Ukraine rather than national defense capacities.
• She states Germany has spent over €100 billion on the war in Ukraine, labeling it a "lost war" that endangers German national security.
• Weidel advocates for immediate peace talks, arguing that the current German policy of prolonging the war is "very dangerous" and "very costly."
• She challenges the narrative of Russian aggression by referencing historical NATO expansion, specifically the placement of Aegis rocket systems near the Russian border as a security provocation.
• Weidel disputes claims of recent Russian attacks on German infrastructure, noting a lack of parliamentary evidence for the Leipzig drone incident and characterizing the Nord Stream pipeline destruction as "state terror" ignored by politicians.

Migration and "Remigration"

• Weidel defines "Remigration" as the strict enforcement of existing asylum laws to deport individuals who crossed borders illegally, whose asylum claims were rejected, or who commit crimes.
• She asserts that all Syrians and Afghans must return to their home countries once the reasons for their asylum claims cease to exist, citing the end of war in Syria and high crime rates among these groups.
• Weidel promises to deport approximately 4 million Ukrainians immediately upon the conclusion of the war in Ukraine.
• She distinguishes illegal migrants from legal professionals, stating the AFD welcomes skilled workers but opposes bringing in "culturally alien" individuals who do not integrate.
• Regarding the Sachsen-Anhalt manifesto's phrase "culturally alien skilled workers," Weidel interprets this as a concern for adherence to German social norms (e.g., gender equality in the workplace) rather than religion or ethnicity, though she acknowledges the phrasing is controversial.

Social Values and Party Ideology

• Weidel identifies the party's ideology as "libertarian conservative," emphasizing personal freedom, merit-based systems over quotas, and opposition to "gender constructs" and "queer policies" in schools.
• She defends the party manifesto's promotion of the traditional family model (mother, father, children) as the statistically proven optimal environment for child development, while stating her own party tolerates diverse lifestyles.
• Weidel rejects the characterization of the AFD as "far-right" or "hard-right," framing their positions on borders, energy, and family as "common sense" and "normal" policies.
• She categorically denies the presence of neo-Nazi elements or "proto-fascist tendencies" within the party, labeling accusations against figures like Björn Höcke as "unfounded" and harmful framing intended to damage the party's reputation.
• Weidel argues that the political "firewall" (Brandmauer) excluding the AFD from coalition talks is undemocratic and harms Germany by strengthening left-wing blocs.
• She expresses no willingness to compromise on core AFD principles, stating that the CDU must move toward the AFD's position or face political extinction.