The co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) said a strong expected showing by her party in European Parliament elections was driven by growing scepticism of the European Union. Exit polls released on Sunday evening put the AfD in second place with 16.1% to 16.4%. Alice Weidel said that her party had made significant gains compared to 2019 – when the far-right populists won 11% of the vote – and had become the strongest force in eastern Germany. The main reason for this was that voters “have become more critical of Europe overall,” she said. Weidel also credited the AfD with ma…