\u201cYou have to make a decision. Do you want to have the party of [Chancellor] Olaf Scholz and all those eunuchs? Or are you on our side, with Elon Musk and Donald Trump? Which side has more sex appeal?\u201d <\/p>\n
Minutes later, Musk made a surprise video appearance beamed into the conference center. There was plenty of love in the room for Trump and his new administration from senior party officials. <\/p>\n
The AfD has been riding high in the polls and could finish second in elections later this month. <\/p>\n
Some of the rhetoric from Halle begs the question: is the AfD infatuated with Trump? And if so, why? The traffic has largely been one way \u2013 Musk aside, the new US president himself hasn\u2019t spoken about the election or the party, which appears determined to forge an alliance. <\/p>\n
And perhaps for good reason. Both the US and Germany have similar issues of mass migration and economic headwinds. And both parties have laid the blame for those issues at the feet of the governing class of \u2018liberal\u2019 parties, in their words. <\/p>\n
Tino Chrupalla, the AfD co-leader, who attended the Capital One rally in Washington on inauguration day, also spoke in glowing terms about the US president. <\/p>\n
Addressing the crowd before Weidel, he said, \u201cYou could feel the optimism and hope in the president. The American people felt liberated.\u201d Chrupalla added: \u201cHe (Trump) implemented his election promises\u2026 That\u2019s what I call politics for the people.\u201d <\/p>\n
Matthais Quent is a researcher and author on extremism, in particular the AfD and Germany\u2019s far right. He says the attention from Musk is unchartered territory for the party, and they are harnessing it to their benefit. <\/p>\n
Not every observer would agree with the assessment of Trump\u2019s administration, but certainly, there is considerable overlap both in policy and in strategy. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nationalism, it\u2019s populism, it\u2019s anti-immigration, it\u2019s disruption,\u201d Quent says. <\/p>\n
Across Europe there has been a wave of far-right parties coming to power on largely populist platforms. Viktor Orban, Hungary\u2019s prime minister, is a longtime Trump supporter and welcomed his return to office. <\/p>\n
Robert Fico, prime minister of Slovakia, who also survived an assassination attempt last year, has openly said his policies align closely with those of Trump. <\/p>\n
As for the Musk-AfD alliance, Quent thinks they are flattered by his interest and are seizing an opportunity. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe AfD has never had such open support by a whole government, or by a guy next to the government. They had support form very rich people in Europe and from Germany, but it was hidden and not public\u2026 he helps them to be seen as a normal political party which is the narrative of all far-right populist movements in the world,\u201d Quent said. <\/p>\n
At the campaign event in Halle, Musk repeated a common trope of his in this election, saying the AfD is Germany\u2019s \u201cbest hope\u201d before adding, \u201cit\u2019s good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything.\u201d <\/p>\n
Musk also caused controversy this week as commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz camp complex were held. <\/p>\n
The billionaire said there\u2019s \u201ctoo much of a focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that.\u201d <\/p>\n
Musk\u2019s remarks mirrored the AfD\u2019s long-held position that Germany should stop atoning for crimes committed by the Nazis in the past. <\/p>\n
The comments irked Scholz, who called Musk\u2019s words \u201cdisgusting.\u201d <\/p>\n
However, Quent questions how much Musk\u2019s involvement is translating to support in the polls. He believes the AfD\u2019s rise may be more accurately attributed to the weakness of the government and how social debates are focusing on the hot-button AfD issues, such as immigration. <\/p>\n
Currently polling at roughly 21% would make the AfD the second largest political force in Germany and the first far-right party in that position since the Nazi era. <\/p>\n
But the reality is they are likely to be frozen out of government. There has long been an agreement between Germany\u2019s larger parties to refuse forming a government or passing laws with AfD assistance – it\u2019s known as the \u201cfirewall.\u201d <\/p>\n
However, debates on tighter immigration legislation held this week in the Bundestag and, particularly a vote on Friday called the \u201cinflux limitation act\u201d have been spearheaded by the favorite for chancellor, Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). <\/p>\n
The moves show the kind of impact the AfD are having on the campaign and major parties. Merz lost the vote on Friday, handing what people see as a victory for the AfD and a dent to his own campaign. <\/p>\n
Regardless of how German voters may see the involvement from the US, Quent says, \u201cin general, [the AfD leadership] are in favor of Trump, and they feel and they have a momentum right now.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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