The AfD's Dark Agenda for Germany
How the extreme far-right political party is reshaping Germany—and echoing Trump's MAGA movement in the process.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has captured significant attention with its far-right platform, which promises drastic changes in Germany. After securing 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, a state of roughly 2 million inhabitants located in the eastern part of the country, the AfD's rise has caused alarm and debate. The party’s election manifesto, a 258-page document, outlines their "Das Land Zuerst" (Country First) agenda, which advocates for extensive deportations of immigrants, including those who are naturalized German citizens, especially those who do not fit the stereotypical German appearance or sound.
The AfD plans to revise the history curriculum in schools, focusing more on Bismarck and less on Hitler, with an emphasis on national power and reduced acknowledgment of Nazism and the Holocaust. The party's stance also includes supporting traditional heterosexual families while withholding benefits and legal recognition for LGBTQ families and other groups it deems "deviant."
Additionally, the AfD strongly opposes German military support for Ukraine, favoring closer ties with Russia, a strategy it believes would provide cheaper energy and lower prices for Germans.
The party's appeal has been significant, with many Germans finding the AfD's promises compelling. In contrast to the slow progress of previous coalition governments in Berlin, the AfD offers a return to a presumed past security and stability. The party has attracted voters from all mainstream rivals, gaining over 82,000 additional votes from those who previously supported the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU).
Interestingly, the AfD has also re-engaged voters who had previously stopped voting, bringing about 170,000 individuals back to the ballot box.
These voters, many of whom reside in eastern Germany, often dismiss Germany's Nazi past as an overblown narrative and reject parallels with contemporary issues. They view centrist politics as tools of a perceived deep state aiming to undermine their values. The AfD's leader, Ulrich Siegmund, a 35-year-old former fragrance salesperson, has modeled his campaign and policies after Donald Trump.
The AfD's close association with Trump's administration and supportive stance towards Vladimir Putin have drawn comparisons to MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters. The party’s success has raised concerns about the potential accumulation of power in a single party, despite Germany’s constitution requiring coalitions to maintain a balance of power.
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