Europe Grapples With Impact of AfD’s Historic Regional Gains in Germany

“Seismic,” “a socio-political earthquake” and “a watershed moment for Germany.” Those were the descriptions used by political analysts and media outlets after the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, scored a stunning victory in Sunday’s local elections.

The result came in Saxony-Anhalt, one of Germany’s smallest regions, with about 1.7 million of the country’s 59 million eligible voters. The AfD narrowly missed an outright majority, but the scale of its gains has implications far beyond the state. In Berlin, it adds pressure to an already beleaguered centrist coalition and could further damage the position of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had promised to reduce the AfD’s popularity.

The outcome has also revived a difficult national debate. The Saxony-Anhalt result represents the first major electoral landslide for a hard-right nationalist party in Germany since the fall of the Third Reich in 1945. German authorities have described the AfD as partly anti-democratic, while regional branches, including the Saxony-Anhalt organization, have been classified as far-right extremist.

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Germany for Germans

The party has long been especially strong in eastern Germany. It is now also polling as the country’s biggest political party, a development that has prompted questions about the failure of Germany’s political mainstream to retain voters. The result comes as Europe faces pressure from Russia’s aggression, U.S. tariffs and economic competition from China, leaving concerns that Germany’s political troubles could weaken and distract the European Union’s most powerful member.

The election reverberated abroad. U.S. President Donald Trump quickly posted an exit poll on Truth Social. The AfD’s anti-immigration and anti-woke message, including its “Germany for Germans” slogan, closely resembles Trump’s MAGA politics. The party also echoes his attacks on mainstream media, doubts about judicial neutrality and promise to “make Germany great again.”

Russian Direct Investment Fund chief Kirill Dmitriev later called the result historic, described Germany’s national government as discredited and said Merz had been humiliated. He compared the chancellor with former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Yet European politicians rarely mention Trump by name during their campaigns, reflecting his unpopularity among voters, the article notes.

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make Germany great again