Alice Elisabeth Weidel (born 6 February 1979) is a German politician and has been the leader of the
Alternative for Germany
Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist
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* political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. ...
(AfD) in the
Bundestag
The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Comm ...
since October 2017. She has been a member of the
Bundestag
The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Comm ...
(MdB) since the
2017 federal election during which she was the AfD's lead candidate together with
Alexander Gauland.
Since November 2019, she has been the deputy federal spokeswoman for her party and, since February 2020, chairwoman of the AfD state association in
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
.
Early life and career
Weidel was born in
Gütersloh
Gütersloh () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 100,194 peo ...
and grew up in
Versmold
Versmold (; wep, Vassem) is a town in Gütersloh District in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located some 30 km west of Bielefeld.
History
In 1096 Versmold was first mentioned in a document, and is thus one of the olde ...
, where she graduated from a
Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands
CJD (Christliches Jugenddorfwerk Deutschlands) is a German Christianity, Christian nonprofit organization. The organization was founded in 1947 by Christian pastor Arnold Dannenmann. CJD is an organisation that deals with youth, education and so ...
(CJD)
gymnasium in 1998.
She studied economics and business administration at the
University of Bayreuth
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
and graduated as one of the best in the year in 2004. After receiving her undergraduate university degree, Weidel went to work for
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs () is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered at 200 West Street in Lower Manhattan, with regional headquarters in London, Warsaw, Bangalore, Ho ...
from July 2005 to June 2006 as an analyst in
asset management
Asset management is a systematic approach to the governance and realization of value from the things that a group or entity is responsible for, over their whole life cycles. It may apply both to tangible assets (physical objects such as buildings ...
in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
.
In the late 2000s, she worked at the
Bank of China
The Bank of China (BOC; ) is a Chinese majority state-owned commercial bank headquartered in Beijing and the fourth largest bank in the world.
The Bank of China was founded in 1912 by the Republican government as China's central bank, rep ...
, living six years in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
.
She speaks
Mandarin. Subsequently, she wrote a doctoral thesis with the health economist Peter Oberender at the Faculty of Law and Economics in Bayreuth on the future of the Chinese pension system. In 2011, she received her doctorate ''
summa cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...
'' and became a
doctor of philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in
international development
International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classificatio ...
.
Her doctorate was supported by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (german: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, KAS) is a German political party foundation associated with but independent of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The foundation's headquarters are located in Sank ...
.
From March 2011 to May 2013, she worked at Allianz Global Investors
Allianz Global Investors (commonly called AllianzGI or AGI), is a global investment management firm with offices in over 20 locations worldwide. It is owned by the global financial services group Allianz. Employing nearly 3,000, it manages over ...
in Frankfurt. She was employed in 2013 and 2014 at Heristo, a Bad Rothenfelde
Bad Rothenfelde is a municipality and health resort in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany.
It is situated in the Teutoburg Forest, approx. 20 km southeast of Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osn ...
-based animal feed supplier. Since 2014, she has worked as a freelance business consultant. In 2015, she worked for Rocket Internet
Rocket Internet SE is a German Internet company headquartered in Berlin. The company builds startups and owns shareholdings in various models of internet retail businesses. The company model is known as a startup studio or a venture builder.
...
and Foodora. Weidel is a member of the Friedrich A. von Hayek Society.
Politics
Alternative for Germany
Weidel joined the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in October 2013. According to Weidel, she was first attracted to the party due to her opposition to the Euro. She was elected to the federal executive committee of the AfD in June 2015. In April 2017 she was elected co- Lead Candidate of the party. She is the first lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
to serve as a lead candidate of her party. She has been identified by the media as belonging to the more moderate conservative ''Alternative Mitte
The ( German for "Alternative Midpoint") sometimes referred to as is a faction and political association within the Alternative for Germany party which was formed in 2017 and presents itself as "liberal patriotic" and "conservative." It has b ...
'' faction within the AfD.[Alan Posener]
''Diese Geste finden „gemäßigte“ AfDler verfassungsfeindlich''
WeltN24, 3. Oktober 2017.[Sabine Am Orde]
''„Alternative Mitte“ gegen „Flügel“''
taz, 6. Oktober 2017.
Political positions
Religion
At the end of 2017, Weidel accused the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
and the Evangelical Church of Germany of "playing the same inglorious role that they played in the Third Reich", accusing both churches of being "thoroughly politicized" and stating that AfD is "the only Christian party that still exists" in Germany. Such statements were dismissed by the German Bishops' Conference
The German Bishops' Conference (german: Deutsche Bischofskonferenz) is the episcopal conference of the bishops of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany. Members include diocesan bishops, coadjutors, auxiliary bishops, and diocesan administrato ...
and the Evangelical Church as "polemics" and "derailment".
Immigration
Weidel has criticized the immigration policies of Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel (; ; born 17 July 1954) is a German former politician and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she previously served as Leader of the Opp ...
, stating that "the country will be destroyed through this immigration policy. Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
said that Merkel is insane and I absolutely agree with that. It is a completely nonsensical form of politics that is being followed here." She has called for the German government to invest in "special economic zones" in the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
to encourage educated and skilled persons to remain in their home countries and avoid the possibility of brain drain, but also says she supports a " Canadian-style system" which would privilege skilled, over unskilled, immigrants.
European Union
Weidel supports continued German membership in the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
; however, she has called for economically weak states, such as Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
, to leave. And, though supporting the EU, she also believes Germany should withdraw from the Euro single currency.
LGBT issues
Weidel has stated her opposition to discussion of sexuality prior to puberty saying that "I don’t want anyone with their gender idiocy or their early sexualisation classes coming near my children".
She has also expressed her opposition to legalization of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
, stating that she supports protection of the "traditional family" while also supporting "other lifestyles". She has said she supports civil partnership
A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
for gay and lesbian couples, noting she is a lesbian herself.
Economic issues
She vigorously defends economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic libera ...
and declares Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
to be her model.
She wants tax cuts, the abolition of inheritance tax
An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and property) of a person who has died.
International tax law distinguishes between an e ...
and opposes the minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. B ...
.
Environment
She expressed her doubts about global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
.
Controversies
TV show "political correctness" incident
In April 2017, Weidel railed against political correctness
''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...
, claiming that it belonged in the "dustbin of history".[ In response, on 27 April, TV presenter ]Christian Ehring
Christian Ehring (born 18 September 1972 in Duisburg) is a German comedian and author.
Life
Ehring works as a comedian at German theatres, and has appeared on a variety of television programs broadcast by German outlets. He has written several ...
of the satire program ''extra 3
''extra 3'' is a weekly political satire show on German television established in 1976. Produced by public TV broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk, it is aired on NDR Fernsehen and 3sat. Once a month, the show is promoted to ARD's national fi ...
'' addressed this, saying "That’s right! Let’s put an end to political correctness. The Nazi slut is right. Was this incorrect enough? I hope so!"[ Weidel sued the channel seeking to forbid re-airing of the program, and on 17 May the Hamburg District Court ruled against her, stating that a public figure must tolerate exaggerated criticism. Weidel disagreed with the decision and promised to bring it to the ]Oberlandesgericht
An ''Oberlandesgericht'' (plural – ''Oberlandesgerichte''; OLG, en, Higher Regional Court, or in Berlin ''Kammergericht'': KG) is a higher court in Germany.
There are 24 OLGs in Germany and they deal with civil and criminal matters. They a ...
(Higher Regional Court). As of September 2017, no further action had taken place.
Illegal immigration incident
A September 2017 report by ''Die Zeit
''Die Zeit'' (, "The Time") is a German national weekly newspaper published in Hamburg in Germany. The newspaper is generally considered to be among the German newspapers of record and is known for its long and extensive articles.
History
Th ...
'' claimed that Weidel had illegally hired a Syrian refugee to do housework at her home in Switzerland. The report also alleged that the asylum seeker did not have a written work contract, nor were there invoices for her work. Weidel responded in a tweet that the ''Die Zeit'' report was “fake news” and “false" and Weidel's lawyer stated that Weidel had a Syrian stay at her home as a guest but not as a worker.
Personal life
Weidel is in a relationship with a woman who lives in Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln () is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, established in the 10th century.
History Early history
There was no permanent settlement in the area ...
, Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and is originally from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
; she works as a film producer. Weidel primarily lives in Berlin, but lives part-time in Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln () is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, established in the 10th century.
History Early history
There was no permanent settlement in the area ...
. They have two adopted children.
Selected publications
* ''Das Rentensystem der Volksrepublik China. Reformoptionen aus ordnungstheoretischer Sicht zur Erhöhung der Risikoresistenz'' (= ''Schriften zur Nationalökonomie.'' Band 60). Verlag P.C.O., Bayreuth 2011, .
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weidel, Alice
1979 births
Living people
People from Gütersloh
Members of the Bundestag for Baden-Württemberg
Leaders of political parties in Germany
21st-century German women politicians
LGBT Christians
LGBT conservatism
LGBT members of the Bundestag
Lesbian politicians
University of Bayreuth alumni
LGBT politicians from Germany
Members of the Bundestag 2017–2021
Members of the Bundestag for the Alternative for Germany
Female members of the Bundestag
German Christians
Critics of multiculturalism
Members of the Bundestag 2021–2025
Women opposition leaders
21st-century LGBT people