Alice Weidel - Adverse Media Check
Bundestagswahl 2025 in Germany
In this series, we analyze German media (written in German). The risk assessment and reasoning are provided in English.
This Adverse Media Risk Assessment is for Alice Weidel - Co-chairwoman of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and Chancellor candidate.
Risk Summary
- Alice Weidel was involved in a scandal where a Swiss firm, PWS, channeled €130,000 in illegal donations to her local party chapter using fake donor lists. The AfD was fined, and criminal proceedings are ongoing. Investigations link these fake donors to German billionaire Henning Conle.
- Allegations against Weidel’s AfD party include providing false donor names related to a campaign donation from Switzerland in 2017. Investigations reveal doubts about the authenticity of the listed donors, with some denying involvement. There are allegations of offering money to individuals to use their names as donors.
- Weidel is accused of illegally employing a Syrian refugee for housework in Switzerland in 2015, with informal employment, no written contract, and cash payments.
- Weidel was involved in spreading misinformation by quoting a fake press release created by an AfD member using AI, leading to public embarrassment and reputational damage.
Adverse Media Articles
All risky articles that led to the risk assessment:
- Falsche Quelle, falsche Behauptung (tagesschau.de)
- Authoritarian right: Germany (corporateeurope.org)
- https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/weidel-pressemitteilung-faeser-fake-100.html
- AfD-Spitzenkandidatin Weidel plötzlich kleinlaut (faz)
- Alice Weidel tappte in die Fake-News-Falle - und was wir daraus lernen müssen
- Mit Spitzname „Lille“ gezeichnet (taz)
- AfD-Spitzenkandidatin Weidel spricht nicht mehr von Fälschung (welt.de)
- AfD soll falsche Spendernamen genannt haben
- German far-right leader accused of illegally hiring Syrian refugee: report (politico)
- Falsche Zitate zu Mannheimer Messer-Attacke verbreitet – Weidel entschuldigt sich bei Faeser (welt.de)
- AfD-Chefin Alice Weidel fällt auf KI-Fake eines Parteikollegen herein (watson.ch)
Date of Media Screening
2024-12-17