The German far-right is getting stronger

Historical déjà vu or a Russian plan in action: the far-right Alternative for Germany party breaks popularity records among Germans

Support for the far-right party AfD (Die Alternative für Deutschland) among German citizens has risen to a record 20%. This is evidenced by a July survey published by the German public broadcaster ZDF. Sympathizers of Russia and European pessimists, the most right-wing party in Germany, for the first time since its creation, took second place in the overall rating. The Christian Democrats, who are the opposition to the ruling coalition, are leading with 27%. But the Social Democrats, led by Chancellor Scholz, dropped to the third position with 17%. Their coalition partners, the Green Alliance, have 16%, while the Free Democrats (FDP) have 7%.

The traffic light, as the coalition of three parties is called because of its characteristic colors, has significantly lost the sympathy of the electorate. And even though the federal elections are to be held until 2025, the authorities have something to worry about, cause right-wing populists are already making sensational gains in regional elections. July became a challenge for German society. Thus, the representative of Alternative, Robert Sesselmann, won the election of the head of the Sonneberg district administration in Thuringia. The minister of the interior of the country, Georg Mayer, did not hide his concern, calling the victory of the populists "an alarming signal for all democratic forces." Even the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), which conducted a "democratic check" due to the right-wing radical views of the Sonneberg party, did not prevent the AfD’s win. Before that, in April, this department recognized the youth wing of the Alternative as an extremist organization. Federal guardians of the Constitution have been watching over "Young Alternative" since 2019.

Robert Sesselmann

In the same month, Germany got its first far-right mayor. The almost 9,000-strong town of Raguhn-Jeßnitz in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt chose the "alternativist" Hannes Loth.

It is interesting that both local winners from the AfD are from the regions of the former GDR. According to a study by the sociological institute INSA, right-wing radical forces are gaining ground in another eastern region of Brandenburg, which geographically surrounds Berlin. If parliamentary elections were held there in early July, Alternative would win with 28%.

Hannes Loth

Experts associate the popularity of the far-right AfD with rising prices and inflation. In addition, due to the difference in annual salary between the western and eastern regions of Germany of almost 15 thousand euros, it is the representatives of the latter who become the electorate of Alternative.

The main German far-right party is successfully proclaiming the old, bad populist slogans. Peace with Russia at any price, fight against migrants, leaving the EU, hunting for LGBT people, "rapid economic growth", etc. Right-wing politicians and activists often get into high-profile scandals. For example, supporters of the party are suspected of attempting a coup in December 2022. And the "honorary head" of the party, the deputy of the Bundestag, Alexander Gauland, got "inglorified" by saying about the "great exploits of the Wehrmacht soldiers in the Second World War."

Alexander Gauland

In April of this year, the Washington Post published the EU intelligence data and it became known that the Russian government plans to increase the real support of the far-right Alternative among Germans by more than 13%. And then - to transform the AfD into the party of "German unity".

Olaf Scholz has already stated that the German government must do everything to stop the boom in the popularity of "Alternative for Germany".