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This Tiny Anti-Establishment Party May Put Germany’s Far Right in Power
Confirmed
In Short: In a regional election, Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is projected to win a strong victory, dealing a significant blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) faces a major setback in a regional election, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) projected to win a strong victory. According to reports, the CDU is expected to suffer a disastrous result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where AfD is seeking to form the country’s first far-right state government since World War II.
The surge of the AfD, considered one of the most extreme far-right parties in Europe, has been fueled by warnings of voter fraud and a strategy of sowing distrust in political institutions. AfD leader Tino Chrupalla recently told a national television audience that some senior citizens in nursing homes had their absentee ballots cast and signed for them without their knowledge, a claim that has raised concerns.
Despite the CDU's efforts, the far-right party has gained significant traction, with opinion polls showing it leading with about 29% support, potentially leading to its first state government in Saxony-Anhalt. This success could serve as a springboard for the AfD at the national level, where it is currently leading opinion polls.
Experts also point to the influence of Trumpism and the MAGA movement on European far-right parties. Lars Rensmann, a political scientist at the University of Passau, noted, 'Trumpism and the MAGA movement have undoubtedly been an inspiration and model for many European radical right parties.
The success of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt could have broader implications for Germany's political landscape. If the party forms a government, it would be a significant milestone for the far-right in German politics. However, achieving this goal is not guaranteed, as forming a government requires more than just winning the most votes.
Meanwhile, the CDU faces criticism for its handling of the election. Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU, has been vocal in his opposition to the AfD, stating, 'Every day this man is in the chancellery is one too many,' referring to the AfD's leader. Merz's party is projected to be hit with a disastrous result in Saxony-Anhalt, where it has led for 24 years.
Background
Far-right politics are politics further to the right on the political spectrum than the standard political right. Far-right politics encompass a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, ultranationalism, authoritarianism, and radical anti-communism.
What's still developing
- "AfD is a right-wing extremist party. It wants to leave the euro; that would be economic downfall... it works closely together with Russia, it wants a completely different social model," said Franziska Hoppermann, the national general-secretary of Merz's party.
- Far-left primary victories signal a shift as lifelong Democrat Jamie Metzl urges party leaders to reject Democratic Socialists of America candidates.
- He argues that maintaining a moderate, patriotic two-party system is essential for American democracy.
- In France, the far-right Rassemblement National is looking to the 2027 presidential race with its candidate, Marine Le Pen, having perhaps her strongest chance yet of winning after reaching the runoff in 2017 and 2022.
- “Some components of Trumpism can be shared and exported, such as hostility towards migration and ‘wokeism,’ but it is very clear that national interests that the far-right champion cannot be defended the same way as the American national interests,” said Giovanni Orsina, head of the political science department at LUISS University in Rome.