Höcke - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. Björn Höcke is a German politician and member of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He has been a controversial figure within the party due to his extreme nationalist views.
- 2. Höcke was born on April 1, 1972 in Lünen, West Germany. He studied history and sports science at the University of Marburg.
- 3. Höcke served as a teacher in Thuringia before entering politics. He joined the AfD in 2013 and quickly rose through the ranks due to his charismatic speaking style and strong anti-immigrant rhetoric.
- 4. Höcke has been a leading figure in the AfD's right-wing faction, known as the "Flügel" (Wing). He has been accused of promoting racist and xenophobic views, as well as downplaying Germany's Nazi past.
- 5. In 2015, Höcke made headlines for a speech in which he criticized the Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame" and called for a "180-degree turn" in Germany's memorial culture.
- 6. Höcke has been the subject of several legal investigations for incitement to hatred and defamation. In 2020, he was found guilty of defamation for calling a journalist a "propagandist" and was fined €6,000.
- 7. Despite his controversial views, Höcke remains a popular figure within the AfD and has a strong following among the party's more radical supporters.
- 8. Höcke has been a vocal critic of Chancellor Angela Merkel's immigration policies and has called for stricter border controls and a halt to multiculturalism in Germany.
- 9. In 2019, Höcke was elected as the AfD's leader in Thuringia and led the party to its best-ever result in the state elections. However, his leadership has been divisive within the party, with some members calling for his expulsion.
- 10. Höcke's influence within the AfD and his far-right views have led to concerns about the party's direction and its impact on German politics. Critics have accused him of promoting hate speech and undermining democratic values.