The interview took a contentious turn when an ARD host confronted Alice Weidel, leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, about her apparent eye roll during a discussion on Holocaust remembrance. The host questioned her visible reaction, leading Weidel to dismiss educational efforts aimed at preserving the historical significance as “pesky.”
Weidel denied rolling her eyes but stood by her earlier controversial statements, including her description of Germany’s culture of Holocaust remembrance as a “guilt cult.” Notably, this sentiment has received public backing from billionaire and X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk, who voiced support for Weidel during a rally in Halle last month.
Defending her linguistic choice on Sunday, Weidel argued that German politics should prioritize “confidence and responsibility for the future” over what she termed “historical guilt.” When confronted about the neo-Nazi undertones associated with the term “guilt cult,” Weidel dismissed the concern altogether, tersely stating, “I don’t care where the word comes from.”
Weidel seemed increasingly irritated by the discussion, describing the repeated linkage of the AfD with Holocaust remembrance as “annoying.” This highlights the party’s long-standing discomfort with addressing Germany’s Nazi past.
The conversation also ventured into another controversial remark Weidel made earlier this year, where she described Adolf Hitler as a “communist” based on his economic policies. Historians have widely discredited this claim as historically inaccurate, but Weidel was unfazed, brushing off the criticism during the exchange.
Weidel’s comments add to the growing tension surrounding the AfD’s stance on Germany’s historical memory and the country’s broader political discourse.
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