Kommentar: Österreich zeigt, was Deutschland mit der AfD an der Macht droht
Alice Weidel tauschte sich in Wien mit Politikern der FPÖ aus. Mit Rechtspopulisten, die regieren. Deren Geschichte ist vor allem eine eindringliche Warnung an die deutsche Mitte.
Österreich has demonstrated to Germany what the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party threatens by coming to power, according to a recent commentary. Alice Weidel, the leader of the AfD, met with like-minded politicians in Vienna who proved to be more experienced in governance than she was. The right-wing populist party has been governing in five of Austria's nine federal states and has already formed a coalition with the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) in the federal government.
This means that Weidel had plenty to teach about winning an election and actually maintaining power.
The situation in Germany is so alarming that the recent state election in Saxony-Anhalt now seems to be within reach for an AfD-led government. What is considered a breach of taboos in Germany is already a political reality in Austria, where this has been the norm for decades. As an Austrian-born person living in Germany recently, it feels like a time travel experience, a déjà vu of history repeating itself.
In 2000, the US magazine "Time" featured a cover question on its front page: "Should Europe fear this man?" - referring to Jörg Haider, the former leader of the FPÖ and the first FPÖ state premier in Austrian history.
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