As AfD nears historic state victory, German mainstream urged to rethink economic policy
The far-right Alternative für Deutschland is polling above 40% in Saxony-Anhalt, potentially winning enough seats to govern alone. The party's platform includes controversial education and family policies, and its rise has alarmed mainstream politicians. The Guardian argues that traditional parties must offer a more compelling economic vision to counter the far-right's appeal.
The AfD's rise is concentrated in Germany's eastern states, where September elections have repeatedly produced gains for the party. Saxony-Anhalt's state branch has been formally classified as a threat to democracy by domestic security services, yet polling shows support there has doubled since 2021 while the CDU's backing has fallen by roughly 15 points. A victory would mark the first far-right state government in Germany since 1945.
The party's platform in Saxony-Anhalt includes segregating refugee children into separate schools, a curriculum de-emphasizing the Nazi period, and promoting the "normal family" over "sexual deviations." Nationally, over a quarter of voters support the AfD, which has discussed mass "remigration" of citizens deemed to have non-German backgrounds. Chancellor Merz's 2018 pledge to halve the party's vote has instead seen it double, with his approval ratings now at a record low for any chancellor.
A far-right state government in Germany could reshape political norms across Europe's largest economy, potentially normalizing extremist rhetoric in mainstream discourse. Minority communities in Saxony-Anhalt may face immediate consequences if the party implements its education and family policies. The broader impact could extend beyond Germany, as other European nations watch whether the "firewall" against far-right governance holds, influencing their own responses to rising nationalist movements.