Heidi Reichinnek is causing a stir in German politics. The 36-year-old tattoo-sleeved “Queen of TikTok” is the leader of the country’s hard-Left Die Linke – which is experiencing a polling surge ahead of Sunday’s election.

Down and out on 3 per cent at the end of January – below the threshold of 5 per cent needed to gain entry to the parliament – the party’s obituaries had already been written.

However, a tumultuous three weeks in German politics has catapulted Die Linke up to 9 per cent in a recent poll, meaning that it is breathing down the necks of the Greens and Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats.

The Left-wing party, successors to East Germany’s communist SED, has found a niche by talking about the cost of living crisis while other parties compete over who has the best plan to revive Germany’s flailing economy.

More significantly though, it has been able to mobilise young voters in a polarising debate over whether it is correct to “normalise” the AfD, the far-Right party that some believe is seeking a return to the darkest chapter in German history.

The figurehead of this movement is Ms Reichinnek, a no-nonsense newcomer with a reputation for fiery speeches and catchy social media content.