The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) sees the British referendum to leave the European Union, also called "Brexit," as a possibility for Germany, the party's co-chair said.
The AfD's Alice Weidel told the Financial Times newspaper that she would be in favor of a referendum on Germany's EU membership if the far-right party can't force through major changes to EU rules.
Weidel, who has been co-leader of the AfD since 2022, said a future AfD government in Germany would seek to reform the EU and remove its "democratic deficit," including by curbing the powers of the European Commission, which she derided as an "unelected executive."
"But if a reform isn’t possible, if we fail to rebuild the sovereignty of the EU member states, we should let the people decide, just as Britain did," Weidel told the newspaper. "And we could have a referendum on 'Dexit' — a German exit from the EU."
Polls have consistently shown a large majority of German voters support the European Union and have little interest in quitting the bloc. Britain left the European Union after a 2016 referendum.
Seven years after the Brexit referendum pulled the U.K. out of the European Union, more than 50% of Britons believe it was the wrong decision to leave the bloc, according to a poll.
Based on a survey of 1,525 adults and carried out at the start of June, the poll found that 34% still believe that Brexit was the correct decision.
