BERLIN, Germany — Alternative for Germany leader Alice Weidel called for Germany to restore imports of Russian oil and natural gas, arguing that affordable energy is essential to reviving Europe’s largest economy as her party prepares for crucial regional elections later this year.
In an interview with Reuters, Weidel said Germany’s economic competitiveness had been undermined by the loss of Russian energy supplies following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the subsequent sanctions imposed by Western governments.
“Cheap energy from Russia was the secret of the success of ‘Made in Germany.’ We need it back,” Weidel said.
She argued that Germany’s break from Russian energy had cost the country jobs, weakened its industrial base and increased reliance on more expensive energy imports from the United States.
“The loss of this energy has set us back years,” she said. “Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost. It has made us dependent on the United States, which sells us energy at far higher prices.”
Before the war in Ukraine, Russia supplied more than one-third of Germany’s crude oil imports and over half of its natural gas consumption. Germany’s energy sector was further disrupted after explosions damaged the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September 2022, eliminating a major route for Russian gas deliveries.
German manufacturers have struggled with elevated energy costs since then, while the country’s industrial sector has remained under pressure. Automaker Volkswagen has also warned it could eliminate up to 100,000 jobs as part of restructuring efforts.
Weidel made the comments as the AfD campaigns ahead of state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in September, where opinion polls have placed the party in a strong position.
She described the contests as critical milestones in the AfD’s long-term ambition to lead Germany’s federal government.
“Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are decisive milestones,” Weidel said. “If we win in Saxony-Anhalt, then Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will probably follow. I can see the AfD in the chancellery either by the next elections or the ones after.”
Victory in either eastern state would increase pressure on Germany’s traditional parties, which have maintained a political “firewall” by refusing to form governing coalitions with the AfD despite the party’s growing electoral support.
The AfD has consistently criticized Berlin’s migration policies and argues that local governments are bearing excessive financial burdens associated with immigration. Weidel said regional governments controlled by her party would challenge federal policies in those areas.
The party’s position on Russia has also drawn renewed attention following a recent visit to Moscow by senior AfD lawmaker Markus Frohnmaier, who met Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller and advocated reopening the Nord Stream pipeline.
Frohnmaier defended the trip, saying Germany should avoid missing opportunities to restore commercial ties with Russia if geopolitical conditions permit. He said Miller had suggested gas deliveries could resume within three months if the necessary political decisions were made.
Mainstream politicians rejected those arguments.
Christian Democratic lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter accused the AfD of portraying Russia in an overly favorable light while seeking to influence voters in eastern Germany ahead of the elections.
“The romanticisation of Russia is being used by the AfD, particularly with an eye on the upcoming elections in eastern Germany,” Kiesewetter said.
Weidel also rejected accusations that the AfD represents an extremist movement after Germany’s domestic intelligence agency classified the party as extremist last year.
“The way we see ourselves and the way our political rivals judge us are miles apart,” she said. “People describe us as far-right. In truth, we are a party for the regular person. We will not turn everything on its head if we get into power.”
The debate over Russia, energy policy and Germany’s economic future has become increasingly prominent as Europe continues to navigate the consequences of the war in Ukraine, with energy prices remaining a major concern for businesses and households alike.
