{
  "id": 6146107,
  "title": "Germany contemplates far right’s return to power, but will the 'firewall' come down?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/germany-contemplates-far-rights-return-to-power-but-will-the-firewall",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-07T15:26:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/europe/2026/09/07/germany-contemplates-far-rights-return-to-power-but-will-the-firewall-come-down/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The potential return of far-right rule to Germany, following the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's resounding victory in an eastern state election, has sparked alarm and uncertainty. Katja Salomo, a sociologist, expressed her concern over the results, hoping that others had a better night than she did. The AfD's platform focused on crime, immigration, and the traditional family, with a prominent slogan urging opposition to Islamic influence in Saxony-Anhalt. With a record-breaking 44% of the vote, the AfD's prospects for ruling part of Germany for the first time since the Nazi era have become a real possibility.\n\nThe prospect of a far-right government has evoked memories of the 1933 appointment of Adolf Hitler as chancellor, as well as the Holocaust memorial nearby, which serves as a somber reminder of Germany's troubled past. While some have called for a ban on the AfD, such a move seems unlikely due to the party's flexibility in bending to public opinion. Instead, the hope is that the German government will implement real reforms rather than erode the welfare state.\n\nThe AfD's success in Saxony-Anhalt, a state in the former communist East, highlights the party's appeal in regions where people feel that little has changed in the past three decades. With concerns about immigration, the AfD has capitalized on these feelings, leading to a national second-place finish for the party in 2025. Despite the mainstream parties' attempts to appear shocked by the AfD's victory, many Germans were well aware of the party's growing influence.\n\nThe AfD's rise has placed pressure on Chancellor Merz, who has ruled out any cooperation with the party. The result also exposes the limitations of German mainstream politics in addressing concerns about immigration and national identity. As the debate over the future of German politics intensifies, the AfD's potential influence looms large, reminding the nation of the fragile nature of democracy and the importance of vigilant opposition to far-right ideologies.",
  "summary": "A wall coming down was once cause for celebration in Berlin. But on Monday, the potential breach of the “firewall” keeping the far right out of power since 1945 put German politics in a very different mood. After the anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD) party romped to victory in an eastern state, the prospect is real of the far right ruling part of Germany for the first time since the Nazi…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Germany contemplates far right’s return to power, but will the 'firewall' come down?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/germany-contemplates-far-rights-return-to-power-but-will-the-firewall-6150547",
        "published": "2026-09-07T15:26:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}