‘You should be worried:’ German comedian warns NYT of far-right peril

A German comedian warned on Thursday that the world “should be worried” as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) appears on its way to achieving a record result in Sunday’s election.

In a lengthy video published on the New York Times website, satirist Jan Böhmermann explained how the party has surged beyond 20% in the polls since its founding in 2013.

He made reference to comments by AfD co-founder Alexander Gauland, who once referred to the Nazi regime as a speck of “bird shit” in 1,000 years of German history.

Böhmermann also criticized the AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, for calling Hitler “a communist, socialist guy” in a conversation with tech billionaire Elon Musk in January.

“Guten tag from Germany, the country that needs saving, according to Elon Musk,” the comedian said, alluding to Musk’s repeated interventions in the election campaign.