As Dr Weidel took the stage in Halle, the crowd started a chant that was a not-too-subtle play on a Nazi slogan, “Everything for Germany,” a phrase once carved on the knives of Nazi storm troopers. It is banned in Germany.

Alice Weidel, the leader of German far-right party AfD, held secret meetings with Chinese envoy to Germany for years. It has also emerged that she was on China’s payroll for several years.

Alice Weidel of the nationalist, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany lives in Switzerland and is married to a Sri Lankan-born woman. She had led her party to second place before Sunday’s election.