Germany’s far-right AfD, riding state win, targets more gains in elections from east to west
The three upcoming elections are being closely watched for signs of the AfD’s wider-scale momentum, said Daniel Schuster, who heads the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s European office.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has capitalized on its recent victory in Saxony-Anhalt state elections and is seeking to expand its influence in upcoming elections across Germany. Soon, the AfD will test its momentum in municipal voting in Lower Saxony, followed by state elections in Berlin and the Baltic coast state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Gideon Botsch, head of the Emil Julius Gumbel Research Unit on Antisemitism and Right-Wing Extremism at Potsdam University, noted that the AfD mobilizes its own constituency and potential voters effectively, while democratic competitors face more challenges.
Recent polls indicate the AfD's growing popularity, with the party often topping nationwide opinion polls. The AfD's leaders have proposed rejecting Germany's "guilt complex" over the Holocaust, a stance that resonates with many voters, especially in eastern Germany, which has been economically struggling due to high energy prices. However, the AfD is expected to perform less favorably in the western regions of the country where the mainstream parties, like the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), hold a stronger grip.
The AfD's rise has raised concerns among Jewish communities, as the party's nationalist and anti-immigrant platform may lead to policies targeting minorities. Even if the AfD does not form a government, its strong showing in these upcoming elections could signal a broader national expansion of its electoral base. This, in turn, could lead to pressure on the federal government and calls for a reassessment of cooperation with the AfD.
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