The Guardian view on the rise of Germany’s AfD: mainstream parties must deliver a bolder response
The far right is close to winning a state election for the first time since the second world war. A different economic approach is needed to combat it
TL;DR
- The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party is making significant advances in German politics, particularly in eastern states.
- In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is polling above 40%, potentially enabling it to govern independently for the first time since WWII.
- The AfD's manifesto includes policies like segregating refugee children and promoting a nationalist curriculum, which have been classified as a threat to democracy.
- Mainstream parties are struggling to counter the AfD's appeal, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition government's approach failing to address economic crises.
- Support for the AfD is concentrated in ailing industrial regions, and the party's discussion of mass 'remigration' reflects a growing challenge to postwar German political consensus.