BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's nationalist prime minister on Wednesday hosted a German far-right party's candidate for chancellor in Germany's upcoming elections, a rare gesture from a sitting European leader to a party which Germany's mainstream politicians are trying hard to contain.

Viktor Orbán met with Alice Weidel, co-leader of Alternative for Germany or AfD, in Hungary's opulent Carmelite Monastery, Orbán's headquarters, where they held talks Wednesday morning. In a news conference following their meeting, Orbán said the AfD's support in Germany had reached a level where other parties would find it possible to cooperate. Until now, most European parties have kept their distance from the AfD.

“It’s completely clear that the AfD is the future," Orbán said, adding that all of the far-right party's platform, from immigration to the economy, would be “beneficial for Hungary” if it were implemented in Germany.

Orbán's decision to meet with Weidel was a break from the right-wing nationalist's earlier policy of keeping the AfD at arm's length despite their similar views on issues like immigration and belief that the European Union plays too strong a role in the affairs of its member countries.

Before the news conference Wednesday, Orbán posted to social media: “Today I met the future of Germany. It was an honour to welcome you in Budapest, Chairwoman Alice Weidel!”

Germany is to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed in November in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s stagnant economy.

Recent polls have shown the AfD in second place ahead of the election, with support of about 20%. However, other parties say they won’t work with it, and Weidel has no realistic path to becoming Germany’s next leader.

On Wednesday, Weidel said Hungary represents "a symbol for us, for Alternative for Germany, a symbol of reason and a symbol of sovereignty and independence. I would like that for our country too.”

“Hungary is the bulwark against illegal migration, and we as Alternative for Germany also want no illegal migration in our country any more,” Weidel continued.

Both leaders harshly criticized the EU's immigration and climate policies, arguing they were disabling the European economy. Orbán said that both should be “thrown out.”

The Hungarian leader's willingness to meet with Weidel was the latest outside endorsement for the AfD, which has been placed under observation by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency for suspected extremism — an accusation the AfD strongly rejects.

In December, tech billionaire Elon Musk drew strong criticism in Germany for endorsing the AfD. In January, he amplified the party's message on his X social media platform by hosting a livestream with Weidel.

Musk said he was “strongly recommending” that Germans vote for the AfD in upcoming elections.

Large numbers of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Germany in recent weeks to protest the far-right and insist that Germany's mainstream parties uphold their unwritten promise to never pass any rule or resolution in parliament that relies on the support of a far-right party.

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Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.