AfD and the German election result heard all around the world
The worst-case scenarios now have to be considered.
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Ulrich Siegmund, top candidate of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), with a supporter in Berlin on Sept 7, the day after the Saxony-Anhalt state elections.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Giden Rachman
- The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party surged in Saxony-Anhalt, drawing global attention due to its far-right ties and support from Russia and the US.
- AfD campaigns to end German aid to Ukraine, restore ties with Russia, and promote Russian language, challenging Germany's traditional policies and EU commitments.
- The rise of AfD threatens Germany's political stability, EU unity, and European security, but it remains distant from national power; France's National Rally poses a more immediate challenge to Europe.
AI generated
It is rare for a provincial German elections to be watched all over the world. But the huge surge in support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt on Sept 6 is truly an event of global significance. The AfD’s Saxony branch has been classified as right-wing extremist by Germany’s domestic intelligence services. Some in the party flirt with Nazi imagery and slogans.
Nonetheless, the governments of Russia and the US – two nations that take great pride in their role in defeating Nazism – are applauding its rise. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s circle had been eagerly anticipating an AfD breakthrough in the Saxony-Anhalt election.
