Germany news: Far-right leader backs left-wing populist
The leader of the far-right AfD in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, has offered to back populist Sahra Wagenknecht as state premier. And heat-related deaths this year are now numbered at some 12,500. DW has more.
August 13, 2026 saw Germany grappling with several headline-making events. Firstly, rail traffic was halted in Treuchtlingen, Bavaria following the discovery of a suspicious object on the railway tracks. Authorities, including Federal Police units, were examining the potential explosive hazard while urging the public to avoid the area. The object was being X-rayed for analysis.
Additionally, with a record number of 12,500 premature heat-related deaths this year, the country continues to struggle with extreme weather. The most affected age group was 85 years or older, accounting for approximately 6,300 deaths. The severe heat wave, especially during the week of June 22-28, is expected to lead to around 9,600 fatalities in total.
In a surprising development, Björn Höcke, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Thuringia, extended a hand to Sahra Wagenknecht, a left-wing populist. Höcke invited Wagenknecht, the leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), to become Thuringia's Premier before the upcoming regional election. This comes as Thuringia's current Premier Mario Voigt, a member of the Christian Democrats (CDU), is facing a no-confidence motion due to plagiarism allegations.
The AfD and BSW together hold the majority in Thuringia's state parliament, with 47 out of 88 seats. While Wagenknecht's BSW would not necessarily support an AfD candidate, their potential abstention in the vote could help one of the far-right's candidates gain office. The move by Höcke challenges the existing consensus among mainstream parties regarding cooperation with the far right, known as the "firewall."
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
