During a ZDF summer interview on Sunday, Alice Weidel, the head of the AfD party, sharply criticized Germany’s current climate protection measures, arguing that the nation should return to a “free market economy” without “prohibition decisions.” Weidel stated that climate change has “always existed” and contended that current policies, such as the phase-out of internal combustion engines, are damaging German industry. When questioned about how German manufacturers could meet the rising demand for electric vehicles in China, she stressed that the AfD would not dictate which engines should be produced or purchased, advocating instead for “market and technology openness.”
Moving beyond environmental issues, Weidel called for Germany to exit the Euro, arguing that the currency has become “unstable.” She claimed that this instability leads to a financial transfer from working citizens to wealthy individuals. Weidel asserted that economically, Germany was in a stronger position prior to the introduction of the Euro, and that the current monetary policy has resulted in the “broad impoverishment” of the population.
In terms of migration and security, Weidel demanded a more rigorous immigration policy, calling specifically for the deportation of Syrian refugees whose original reasons for fleeing are no longer valid. She leveled criticism against successive federal governments for their handling of migration since 2015, asserting that this has negatively impacted Germany’s internal security. Furthermore, Weidel announced that the AfD intends to close national borders and withdraw from the Schengen Agreement.
