As Germany heads to the polls, a look at the politician cultivating the anti-immigrant party’s ‘image of competence’.

A carnival float depicts German far-right politician Alice Weidel and far-left politician Sahra Wagenknecht with flowers for Putin at the presentation of this year's satirical carnival floats for the

From left, activists wearing masks of German far-right chancellor candidate Alice Weidel, Elon Musk, President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Vice President JD Vance protest the U.S. and Russia’s support for the German far-right AfD party at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

The Christian Democrats won with 28.6% of the vote while the far-right Alternative for Germany came second with 20.8%.

Four candidates are running to be Germany’s next leader: incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Friedrich Merz, current Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, and Alice Weidel, of the far-right AfD.

The tweet from Elon Musk arrived a few days before Christmas, and it felt like a gift from heaven to Germany’s far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). It consisted of six words: “Only the AfD can save Germany.

Alice Weidel of the nationalist, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany lives in Switzerland and is married to a Sri Lankan-born woman. She had led her party to second place before Sunday’s election.

The Alternative for Germany still has pariah status among other major political parties in a country where far-right politics has long carried a stigma because of the Nazi past.

ISENBURG, Germany (Reuters) - "Alice fuer Deutschland" (Alice for Germany) chanted supporters as far-right leader Alice Weidel addressed an election rally outside Germany's financial centre Frankfurt,

Elon Musk has continued his public association with Germany's far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, sending a congratulatory post on X to the party's co-chair Alice Weidel following the election results last night in Germany.

As an openly gay politician who lives with her Sri Lanka-born partner in Switzerland, Alice Weidel was an unusual choice to many to lead Germany's far-right and anti-immigration AfD into

Alice Weidel, centre left, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany Party (AfD), is surrounded by journalists after a press conference in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, the day after