Who is lesbian far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel as German party wins in eastern state?

Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has won a big regional election, causing shock and concern to many, including Holocaust survivors.

The party secured 39 of 83 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, with 43.8 percent of the vote. It is the strongest result for a far-right party in Germany since before World War II.

It was founded in 2013 in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis as a party, “focused on economic issues and matters of German fiscal sovereignty”, but quickly pivoted to focus on migration in 2015 when Germany accepted over one million asylum seekers.

Their “Vision 2026” manifesto included plans for state-level deportation, as well as a force to make deportations quicker similar to what is happening under Donald Trump in the US. The party also wanted a closer relationship with Russia.

As for LGBTQ+ rights, the party opposes same-sex marriage in favour of civil unions and has tried to overturn laws allowing same-sex marriage. They have also been linked to fliers tying the LGBTQ+ community to paedophilia and genital mutilation, another common tactic used by similar-stanced parties around the world.

And that’s why it may be even more surprising to know that AfD is led by an unlikely person: a lesbian woman raising two sons with her partner, Alice Weidel.

Weidel and co-leader Tino Chrupalla deny that AfD is far-right.

But what about this unlikely LGBTQ+ co-leader? Here’s everything you need to know about Alice Weidel.

When did Alice Weidel join the AfD?

Weidel joined the party in October 2013, previously saying she was first attracted to the party due to her opposition to the Euro.

Since then, her profile in the party has grown. In 2015, she was elected to the federal executive committee of the AfD and has led the AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag since 2017.

Weidel was elected as co-chairwoman of the party, alongside Tino Chrupalla, in 2022, becoming the first lesbian to serve as leader of the party.

Alice Weidel’s grandfather was Hans Weidel, a prominent Nazi judge who was appointed directly by Adolf Hitler. Hans Weidel was responsible for sentencing opponents of the Third Reich.

Who is Alice Weidel’s girlfriend Sarah Bossard?

Alice Weidel has been a relationship with her partner Sarah Bossard since 2009.

Bossard is a Sri Lankan-born film producer who was adopted as a child by a Swiss couple. Bossard’s work often “delves into themes that may not resonate with the conservative views espoused by the AfD”, according to the Munich Eye.

Weidel and Bossard have two children: both boys, who Bossard gave birth to and Weidel adopted. Despite raising her sons in a lesbian relationship, Weidel has previously praised the importance of children being brought up as part of a traditional, nuclear family unit featuring a father and mother. Weidel has said that her sons are being raised Christian, though she describes herself as agnostic.

She has said legalising gay marriage is unimportant, and the couple are not married after 17 years together.

Weidel has also defended her role within the AfD and stated that her sexuality does not conflict with the party’s traditional values.

Where do Alice Weidel and her girlfriend live?

Weidel and Bossard live with their children in Einsiedeln, Switzerland. Alice Weidel splits her time between Berlin – where she works – and Switzerland and lists her official residence as being in her electoral district in Überlingen, Germany.

Weidel was born in Gutersloh – a town halfway between Dortmund and Hanover – and later studied in Bayreuth.

She also worked for Goldman Sachs and the Bank of China prior to turning to politics, living in China for six years.

What controversies has Alice Weidel been involved in?

Weidel has often been outspoken about her views. Despite originally joining the party due to economic policies, she has endorsed and championed the party’s move towards the far-right and its focus on migration and German nationalism.

She previously said that immigrants were made up of “burqas, girls in headscarves, knife-wielding men on government benefits and other good-for-nothing people”, which led to criticism from political rivals in Germany but respect from other right-wing people.

Weidel has also demanded “large-scale repatriation of foreigners” and claimed that Germany is the real victim of the war in Ukraine.

She also previously questioned the point of Covid vaccines, cast doubt on climate change, and spoke about the “great replacement” theory, which falsely claims that white people are being “replaced” by immigrants.

During a chat with Elon Musk, Weidel claimed that the Nazis were “not right-wing” and said that Hitler was “a communist, socialist guy”. This is blatantly untrue as communists and socialists were regularly persecuted under the Nazi regime.

Weidel ignited a fresh wave of controversy when she appeared on German broadcaster ARD for an interview and claimed that Germany’s Holocaust remembrance culture is a “guilt cult”.

She also described the repeated association of her party with Holocaust remembrance as “annoying”, doubling down on the party’s discomfort with confronting the country’s Nazi past.