Jauch put her through the wringer Did Chancellor candidate Weidel lie about her place of residence?
Alice Weidel is said to live with her family in Switzerland, but wants to become Germany's chancellor. In yesterday's TV debate, Günther Jauch took her to task - and sparked a heated discussion.
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- In the TV debate between the candidates for chancellor, Alice Weidel (AfD) once again caused a stir because she lives with her family in Switzerland.
- Presenter Günther Jauch questioned her credibility, but Weidel emphasized that her official residence is in Überlingen, Germany, and that she meets all legal requirements.
- Critics question whether the center of her life is really in Germany and see a contradiction with her nationalist politics.
In a heated TV debate yesterday (Sunday), the candidates for chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Friedrich Merz (CDU), Robert Habeck (Greens) and Alice Weidel (AfD) faced each other. Particular attention was paid to the AfD candidate Alice Weidel, who caused discussion due to her residence in Switzerland.
The 45-year-old Weidel lives with her partner Sarah Bossard and their two sons in tranquil Willerzell, a village with around 1000 inhabitants in the canton of Schwyz. This fact raises questions about her suitability as a candidate for chancellor, especially as she is supposed to represent Germany's interests while residing abroad.
How credible is Weidel?
Moderator Günther Jauch confronted Weidel directly with this contradiction in the debate. He asked how she could credibly stand up for German interests while living in Switzerland. Weidel defended herself and emphasized that her official residence was in Überlingen on Lake Constance and that she fulfilled all legal requirements. However, it remains unclear whether she actually spends the majority of her time there or lives mainly in Switzerland.
The discussion about Weidel's place of residence also drew attention to the legal aspects of her candidacy. According to German electoral law, the "center of life" of a candidate for chancellor must be in Germany. Critics doubt that this is the case for Weidel and accuse her of circumventing the law. Weidel, on the other hand, insists that she complies with all legal requirements.
Experts question Weidel's credibility. As a representative of a party that is strongly committed to national interests, the fact that she lives abroad could be perceived as a contradiction to her political positions.
Who won the debate?
In terms of content, topics such as migration policy and the economy dominated the discussion. Scholz attacked Weidel several times. When she accused him of saying that companies were going bankrupt because of his economy and that she had presented concrete plans, he replied: "Nope, I don't hear any proposals from you, just hot air. You evade all the time, just hot air." When Weidel then turns the conversation back to migration, Scholz says: "Ah, we're talking about energy and you're back to migration, of course."
According to the representative survey of 1,579 eligible voters, the CDU/CSU is still clearly ahead with 32%. The AfD is holding steady at 21%, while the SPD is heading for a record low with just 14% - as are the Greens.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
