Alice Weidel obviously doesn’t like hearing some questions in the ARD “summer interview”. The AfD leader makes it clear: “I am not queer.”
Berlin – A lesbian chairwoman for a right-wing populist and partly clearly anti-homosexual party – this constellation caused some frowning years ago. In a question and answer session before her ARD “summer interview” on Sunday (September 10th), AfD leader Alice Weidel explained her position in a rather astonishing way. ARD presenter Matthias Deiß confronted her with an audience question about the AfD’s “open anti-queer sentiment”. Weidel’s verdict was: “I’m not queer.”
Rather, she is “married to a woman I have known for 20 years and we have two children together.” She doesn’t feel discriminated against – “why should she?” Weidel asked. However, she called the gender policy of the traffic light coalition “stupid”. Weidel claimed in the conversation that “you should now be able to choose your gender once a year”; that is an invasion of privacy.
In fact, every person in Germany should in future be able to determine their gender and first name themselves and change them in a simple procedure at the registry office. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) explained on Thursday (September 7th) that the Federal Constitutional Court had determined that the previous procedure violated the fundamental rights of those affected. “Every single person deserves to have their basic rights respected – regardless of whether they belong to a large or a small group,” he said. The law still has to pass the Bundestag.
Weidel does not rule out running for chancellor – AfD leader sometimes ignores questions
Weidel deliberately avoided other questions. “Back to the public prosecutors…” she initially replied to the question of whether she was sometimes ashamed of statements made by party friends. “Hm?” she replied when Deiss insisted on a statement. “Why should I?” Weidel finally asked. Confronted, among other things, with conspiracy theorist jargon such as the catchphrase “globalists,” she ultimately explained that such statements reflected “the discontent of the population.”
In the actual “summer interview,” Weidel kept his candidacy for chancellor in the federal election open. Whether the AfD will nominate a candidate for chancellor will be clarified next year, she said. “At the end of June we will have the party conference where this will be decided.” The moment it becomes clear that the AfD is the second strongest force, “of course we also have to claim leadership.” “And so do we,” said Weidel. The question of a candidacy for chancellor or a fighting candidacy is “still completely open”.
Weidel and her co-party leader Tino Chrupalla announced in June that the AfD wanted to nominate its own candidate for chancellor in the coming federal election. The two party leaders remained tight-lipped about their own ambitions to run for chancellor. Weidel said in an interview that she “feels like it,” but that others do too. The AfD honorary chairman Alexander Gauland described a candidacy for chancellor from his party’s ranks as “not realistic”.
ARD “Summer Interview”: Weidel praises fascist Höcke – “It developed well”
Meanwhile, Thuringia’s party state leader Björn Höcke may also want to aspire to a head of government position for the AfD, as he said in August MDR said.. Weidel defended her party colleague, who, according to the court ruling, can not only be called a “fascist”, but also heads a regional association that is classified as right-wing extremist by the Thuringian Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Höcke has “developed very well” and is a “highly successful” party leader. Most recently, the CDU in the Thuringian state parliament indirectly used support for the AfD – exactly on the day on which it became possible for Höcke to be indicted on charges of incitement to hatred.
The AfD has been increasing in surveys for months and is currently achieving figures of 20 percent and more nationwide. In the question and answer session, Weidel put the AfD’s voter potential at up to 45 percent – “those are your numbers,” countered Deiß. However, all other parties refuse to work with the AfD.
ARD defends Weidel invitation – AfD goes on the attack according to Wagenknecht’s plans
The ARDAt the beginning of the audience question round, the moderator defended the AfD’s invitation to the traditional “summer interview” format: Weidel is the leader of a party represented in the Bundestag – as are all the other guests in the row.
Meanwhile, Weidel was also concerned with the possible founding of a new Wagenknecht party. She changed her tone for Wagenknecht after some very friendly tones from the AfD. The new party will divide the “anti-government camp,” said Weidel. This is intended to prevent the AfD from participating in government. Wagenknecht is therefore “a willing vicarious agent for the traffic light” and also for the CDU, explained Weidel in the ARD “summer interview”. (fn with material from AFP)