Amid Ban Discussions, AfD Names Alice Weidel First Chancellor Candidate Ahead of February's Snap Election

Dec 7, 2024, 10:35 AM

Alternative for Germany (AfD), Germany's far-right party, has officially nominated its co-leader Alice Weidel as its first-ever candidate for Chancellor in the upcoming federal election scheduled for February's snap election. The decision marks a significant step for the party, which is currently polling second at 17%, trailing the CDU/CSU at 33%. Weidel, a 45-year-old business analyst and the first openly gay figure to lead the AfD, has been co-head of the party since 2017. She has expressed a desire for peace in Ukraine and an end to weapons supplies to Kyiv. The nomination comes amid discussions among more than 100 German MPs, led by CDU MP Marco Wanderwitz, about potentially banning the AfD due to concerns over its increasing radicalization and impact on democracy. Additionally, there are moves to dissolve the party's youth organization, Junge Alternative (JA).