ERFURT: Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) firebrand Bjoern Hoecke believes his party shares significant common ground with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Hoecke cited America’s implementation of “remigration” policies under Trump as evidence of a broader Western shift toward resolving migration-related problems.
The AfD leader pointed to shared social priorities like “the fight against wokeism” and opposition to what he termed the “politicisation of the judiciary”.
Hoecke referenced his own convictions for using a banned Nazi slogan as examples of judicial overreach he claims is politically motivated.
Despite his regional chapter being designated “right-wing extremist” by German intelligence, Hoecke’s AfD won Thuringia’s state election with over 30% support.
The party achieved a record 20.8% in February’s national elections, reflecting its growing influence across Germany.
Hoecke described the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in the United States as a “turning point” demonstrating dangerous political polarisation.
He expressed concern that Western societies could be pushed toward civil war conditions due to escalating tensions.
The AfD leader rejected claims that his party has radicalised, instead accusing the German government of becoming more extreme on migration policy.
Hoecke identified migration as “the mother of all crises” negatively impacting all areas of German society.
Having moved from western Germany, Hoecke has become a powerful figurehead for the AfD in the formerly communist east.
He suggested eastern Germans remain more sensitive to manipulation due to their historical experience with dictatorship.
The AfD recently tripled its score in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, showing western expansion.
Hoecke once called Berlin’s Holocaust memorial a “monument of shame” and advocates for Germans rediscovering national identity.
He believes Germany’s future depends on citizens becoming “friends with themselves again” through renewed patriotism.
A recent YouGov survey placed the AfD at 27% support nationally, ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc. – AFP