Germany should end its boycott of Russian oil and gas to revive its struggling economy, Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), told Reuters. Weidel outlined the party's ambitions to lead a national government, stating that cheap energy from Russia was the secret behind 'Made in Germany's' success. 'We need it back,' she said, adding that the loss of Russian energy had set the country back years, costing hundreds of thousands of jobs and increasing dependence on the United States, which sells energy at far higher prices.
AfD sees state elections as decisive milestones
Weidel said the AfD can win two key federal state elections in the coming months, describing them as milestones toward securing the chancellery as soon as the next national elections due by 2029. Before sanctions imposed over Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia supplied over a third of Germany's crude oil and more than half of its natural gas. Germany has also struggled to recover from the shutdown of the Nord Stream pipeline, crippled by explosions in September 2022. Industry remains in the doldrums, with Volkswagen considering cutting up to 100,000 jobs.
Weidel's comments highlight potential fragility in the Western alliance supporting Ukraine. Although the current German government backs Ukraine, the population is divided. She spoke ahead of September elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the AfD leads polls. A win would challenge Berlin's migration policy and potentially give the AfD a stepping stone to national rule. 'Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are decisive milestones,' Weidel said. 'If we win in Saxony-Anhalt, then Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will probably follow. I can see the AfD in the chancellery either by the next elections or the ones after.'
Energy costs and Russian ties sway voters
For mainstream parties like Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats, which reject cooperation with the AfD, a victory in Saxony-Anhalt would deal a blow to the so-called firewall blocking the AfD from power. Energy costs and the prospect of cheaper Russian energy could win over voters. Germany's relationship with Russia carries more weight in the east, which was under Soviet rule until 1990. Many there take a sympathetic stance toward Russia and a critical view of the United States.
Weidel's comments follow a visit by senior AfD lawmaker Markus Frohnmaier to Russia, where he met Gazprom head Alexei Miller and called for reopening the Nord Stream gas pipeline. Frohnmaier rebuffed criticism, saying US investors were examining reopening the route, which could see Germany pay a fee for Russian gas. 'We have to be careful in Germany that we don’t miss the window of opportunity to get back into the Russian market,' he told Reuters. 'Mr Miller said it would take a three-month timeframe for the gas supply to be resumed.'
Criticism and defense of AfD stance
Roderich Kiesewetter, a Christian Democrat MP, said the AfD's pro-Russian stance distorts public debate. 'The romanticization of Russia is being used by the AfD, in particular with an eye on the upcoming elections in eastern Germany,' Kiesewetter said. Weidel dismissed accusations of extremism, despite the party being classified as extremist by Germany's spy agency last year. 'The way we see ourselves and the way our political rivals judge us, are miles apart,' she said. 'People describe us as far-right. In truth, we are a party for the regular person. We will not turn everything on its head if we get into power.'
