AfD's rise is shaking Germany’s postwar political model
AfD's rise is shaking Germany’s postwar political model newspress_en Fri, 10/09/2026 - 04:50 Politics Germany has appointed its first far-right speaker of a regional parliament since the Second World War, after Tobias Rausch of Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany, AfD) was elected in Saxony-Anhalt. His deputy is the AfD’s Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, who admires Russia’s Vladimir…
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has experienced a significant surge in popularity, causing a major shift in Germany's postwar political landscape. Tobias Rausch, the party's first regional speaker elected since World War II, and his deputy Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, who admires Russian President Vladimir Putin, have called for the stabilization of German identity through culture and education.
The AfD received nearly 44% of the votes in Saxon-Anhalt's recent state elections, severely impacting the centrist Christian Democratic Union (CDU) government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Analysts describe this as an "earthquake" in Germany's political system, with the AfD gaining strong support in rural areas, Eastern states, and urban outskirts, while traditional parties like the CDU are struggling.
Merz pledged to reduce the AfD's influence by addressing immigration and boosting the economy, but instead, his party's ratings have plummeted, and the AfD's support has surged to approximately 30%.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
