Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged as the clear winner in municipal elections across Germany’s most populous state, securing 33 percent of the vote. Yet, the most striking development was the surge of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which captured 15 percent—nearly tripling its support compared with previous elections.
While these municipal contests carry no direct impact on national politics, they are widely viewed as a barometer of the national mood, coming just four months after Merz assumed office. Since then, the AfD has grown increasingly popular, despite being formally designated as an extremist party by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency. This designation has reignited a simmering debate over whether the party should be banned under Germany’s constitution.
Founded in 2013 by Alexander Gauland, Bernd Lucke, and former CDU members, the AfD was initially a moderately Eurosceptic, economically liberal movement opposed to Eurozone policies. In its early years, the party narrowly missed the Bundestag’s five percent threshold but quickly gained traction, winning seven seats in the 2014 European Parliament elections. By 2017, the AfD had entered 14 of Germany’s 16 state parliaments and won 94 federal seats, becoming the third-largest party and the largest opposition force. Following the 2025 federal election, it advanced to become the second-largest party in the Bundestag.
Over the past decade, the AfD has shifted sharply to the right. Today, its platform centers on opposition to immigration, Islam, and the European Union, while promoting welfare chauvinism, climate skepticism, and closer ties with Russia. The refugee crisis of 2015 marked a turning point, embedding nationalism, populism, and hardline conservatism into the party’s identity.
The AfD’s rise in local elections underscores not only the shifting political landscape of Germany but also the growing tension between mainstream parties and a populist movement that continues to expand—even under the shadow of possible constitutional prohibition.
Reference:
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-merzs-cdu-set-to-win-in-nrw-afd-makes-big-gains/live-73986739
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_for_Germany
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