Weidel in Strasbourg: “Radically reform the EU”; attacks the Green Deal and Schengen

from our correspondent in Strasbourg – Alice Weidel arrives at the European Parliament with a promise: to reshape the European Union, returning powers and decision-making to the national states. The co-chair of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) brings her vision of the EU to Strasbourg, one built on national sovereignty, tighter border controls, and the dismantling of those EU policies that, in her view, impoverish citizens. “The EU, in its current form, needs radical reforms”, she argued at a press conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, describing a continent “under a sort of siege”, amid a loss of purchasing power, inflation and open borders.

The German leader’s plan is based on three pillars: “Subsidiarity, responsibility and sovereignty”. “We must return powers to national parliaments and governments,” Weidel said, challenging the European Commission’s power, which she regards as an unelected body with an excessive concentration of authority. “We don’t want the state or the Commission meddling in your private life,” she noted, taking aim at European rules which, in her view, restrict the freedom of choice of consumers and businesses.

The Green Deal is the main target of criticism. According to Weidel, the European energy transition is artificially driving up energy prices and jeopardising industrial competitiveness, particularly in Germany. The AfD leader slams Berlin’s decision to phase out nuclear power and opposes the ban on combustion engines: “Every manufacturer should be free to decide what to produce, and every citizen free to decide what to buy.” The solution lies in the free market, accompanied by a drastic reduction in taxes and the redistribution of wealth. Weidel also attacks public debt and the European Central Bank, which she accuses of fuelling inflation and eroding purchasing power. 

On migration, the proposal is even more unequivocal: if Schengen does not work, we must leave it. “If the European Union is unable to protect our external borders, it is up to sovereign states to protect their own national borders,” she said. Weidel links the unrest in France, Italy and Germany to “left-wing circles and migration-related contexts” and calls for those causing unrest in European countries to be stopped and deported.

The AfD leader is also calling for a change of course on Ukraine. Europe, she argues, has lost negotiating clout compared with the United States, Russia and China, while it should have worked towards peace from the very start of the war. “We must adopt a pragmatic diplomatic approach,” she says, rejecting the accusation that her party wants Kyiv to capitulate. 

The European message is intertwined with Italian politics through Roberto Vannacci, founder of Futuro Nazionale and a member of the same parliamentary group as the AfD, Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN). When asked about the General’s political future and the possibility of him standing as an independent candidate against the centre-right, Weidel endorsed him without hesitation: “I am firmly convinced that Roberto Vannacci is the best choice for his electorate and that he will make the best decisions for Italy.” The German leader makes it clear that she does not wish to advise an Italian politician on which strategy to adopt: “He knows what is best for his country.” 

The stated aim, however, is not to leave the Union, but to radically transform it. “We want to rebuild and reform the European Union,” concludes Weidel: a Europe of sovereign states, with fewer powers in Brussels and more control in the capitals.