Weidel supports AfD's candidate for chancellor; she also defends Höcke.
Despite experiencing decreasing support from the public, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leader Alice Weidel confirmed on ntv's Frühstart that they will present a candidate for chancellor during the upcoming Bundestag elections. Weidel stated, "We are still the second largest party, and the situation is being completely turned upside down. I stand by my statement: the AfD has a right to lead." However, she also added that the party will consider their internal power dynamics and leave the decision to a federal party conference. She mentioned, "Other people are also interested in the role. There will be discussions about who will run. I don't think we'll have two candidates going against each other. If so, only one will be put forth."
Weidel voiced support for Björn Höcke, the Thuringian AfD chairman who was recently fined 13,000 euros by the regional court in Halle for using a national socialist slogan. She plans to file an appeal, stating, "This is a ridiculous process, and of course, it's meant to discredit our leading candidate. We've reached methods in our constitutional state that are no longer seen in democracies." Höcke maintained that he was unaware of the SA's slogan and plans to challenge the verdict.
Höcke was once considered a potential threat to the party; in 2015, Weidel aimed to eliminate him from the party. However, a dramatic change occurred within the party, and there are no more debates surrounding his future within the AfD. Weidel, who is the parliamentary group leader and top candidate in Thuringia, responded, "It's an interesting topic. You should probably ask my colleague Höcke about it yourself. He's doing an outstanding job as a top candidate right now and might even lead the AfD to become the strongest force in the Erfurt state parliament on September 1." The Thuringian AfD has been classified as a "proven right-wing extremist organization" by the state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and there has been growing opposition to Höcke's right-wing stance within the state association. Weidel, however, expressed her support for Höcke by saying, "He is a very, very good top candidate."
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Source: www.ntv.de
