AfD is rising, but it can still be stopped
The German mainstream still has a window of opportunity to act and reverse a dangerous trend to the far right.
The victory of far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the elections of the East German state Saxony-Anhalt is a dramatic moment for Germany. The party won 44 percent of the vote, securing 39 seats in the 83-seat local legislature.
Although this result falls short of a majority, it is close enough. The small, populist BSW party has indicated that it may enable the election of an AfD head of government in the state. This would give executive power to an extreme-right party in a German state for the first time since World War 2.
The election has already deeply disturbed Germany. It is the culmination of a decade-long process that saw the AfD move from a marginal protest party to a major political power.
Our surveys show that across the country and the political spectrum, voters are deeply discontent with the status quo. Germans have a very low opinion of the current government. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has the worst approval rating of any German government head since polling began – currently at 13 percent. The disapproval of the work his government is doing is near unanimous across German society.