‘Time to put our fatherland back on its feet’: Germany’s far-right AfD sets sight on power

Leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have declared their intention to pursue power following the next federal elections, scheduled for 2029. The party reaffirmed its leadership at a recent conference, re-electing Tilo Chruppala and Alice Weidel as co-leaders with substantial support. Weidel, addressing delegates in Erfurt, articulated the party's goals using the national colors "black, red, gold" and declared, "We stake our claim on power." She expressed the party's desire to govern Germany, stating, "We will govern because we want to take over responsibility for our country that we love so much. This country deserves to be governed well."

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We stake our claim on power. We will govern because we want to take over responsibility for our country that we love so much. This country deserves to be governed well.

Recent national opinion polls place the AfD in a leading position with 27% support, five points ahead of the incumbent center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The party's strength is particularly pronounced in eastern Germany, where regional polls indicate support ranging from 35% to 41% in two states preparing to elect new state parliaments in September. The prospect of the AfD potentially taking power at the state level has galvanized opposition, drawing approximately 30,000 anti-AfD protesters to Erfurt for demonstrations.

Co-leader Chrupalla, who aligns with pro-Russian and ethno-nationalist factions, dismissed the protesters as "thugs" and "the last resort of our political rivals." He asserted the party's confidence, stating, "The AfD is here to win and we will win and we will govern." The AfD is reportedly close to achieving an absolute majority in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt ahead of its September election.

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The AfD is here to win and we will win and we will govern.

However, the AfD's rise is shadowed by concerns about its alleged ties to Russia. Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, acknowledged the federal government's "preoccupation" with the possibility of sharing intelligence information with AfD state officials, citing "the proximity to Putin" evident in many AfD representatives' public statements. Public opinion in Germany remains divided on how to address the AfD, with 40% favoring a party ban due to its perceived extreme-right elements, while 45% oppose such a ban. Similar ambivalence exists regarding cooperation with the AfD by other political parties.

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You only have to look at the public remarks of many, many AfD representatives, the proximity to Putin is impossible to overlook.