Global Ripples from a Small German Election | DW News

Sep 8, 2026 | The far-right AfD's success in recent regional elections in Germany has drawn praise from the United States. American tech billionaire Elon Musk congratulated the AfD after its strong result in Saxony-Anhalt with a brief German message: "Gut gemacht!", or "Well Done!" in English. The AfD state leader Ulrich Siegmund responded by thanking Musk and suggesting future economic cooperation. President Donald Trump also drew attention by posting a screenshot of German election projections on Truth Social. Together with Eric Langenbacher from the American-German Institute, DW's Ben Fajzullin discusses what the reaction says about transatlantic ties between right and far-right political movements.

Donald Tusk Slams Poles Who Celebrate German Far-right Election Win | DW News

Sep 8, 2026 | Some of Germany's neighbours have also been reacting to the AfD's shock victory in the Saxony-Anhalt regional election. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on X: "In Poland, only idiots or traitors can rejoice at the triumph of the AfD in Germany."

We get the view of DW correspondent Michal Gostkiewicz. And one of Germany's leading pollsters, Roland Abold, breaks down the election results.

German Far-right's Breakthrough Shakes Europe to Its Core • FRANCE 24 English

Sep 7, 2026 | Not enough to win outright but enough to shake Germany and Europe to their core: the far-right Alternative für Deutschland trouncing the ruling conservatives in the impoverished former East German region of Saxony-Anhalt. We’ll ask about the consequences of voting for an anti-immigrant, pro-Russian party that wants schools to teach less about the ills of Hitler and more the glory of Bismarck.

Will Sunday’s result further fuel the momentum of the far-right in places like Sweden which votes next Sunday or here in France where the far-right’s the odds-on favourite in next spring’s presidential election? Here you see the president of Marine Le Pen’s party Jordan Bardella who, after dropping in on Nigel Farage Reform UK party, was invited to speak to Italian business leaders at a weekend forum. A further normalization of a party that once seemed fringe?

As for the mainstream, be it France or Germany, what’s it got to offer to win back voters from MAGA and Putin-backed formations? You might ask who is on shakier ground: Germany’s Friedrich Merz or France’s Emmanuel Macron?

German Fascists Are Back - Will They Take Power?

September 7, 2026

How Will the Far-right AfD's Electoral Rise Impact Germany? | Inside Story

Sep 7, 2026 | The Alternative for Germany is on top in Sunday's election in the east German state of Saxony-Anhalt, with about 44 percent of the vote. It's benefited from voters' economic concerns and anger over immigration. The party is also leading in national polls. But Germany's domestic intelligence agency has classified its branch in Saxony-Anhalt as a proven right-wing extremist group, a label the AfD rejects. Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists there can be no co-operation with the AfD, and mainstream German parties have been maintaining a 'firewall' against forming coalitions with the far-right. But it's not clear if the strategy will hold.

Presenter: Rishaad Salamat

Guests:

Olaf Boehnke - Berlin Director of the political consultancy Rasmussen Global and former Senior Advisor in the German Bundestag
Max Otte - Founder of Privatinvestor Capital and a 2022 German presidential candidate
Ulrich Brueckner - Professor of European Studies at Stanford University in Berlin

The Far-right Win Big in Germany - and It's Sending Shockwaves through Europe

Sep 7, 2026 | Germany’s far-right party has won a major victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, although it remains to be seen whether the AfD will be able to form a government there.

Nevertheless, the result has sent shockwaves not only through Germany, but across Europe too. For the first time since the end of the Second World War, a far-right party could gain power in a German state.

Why is the AfD surging? How much is its success being driven by immigration, economic frustration and anger at the political establishment? And what could its rise mean for Germany’s relationship with Russia, NATO and the EU?

Matt Frei is joined by author and commentator John Kampfner and Dr Sarah Wagner, a researcher in political science at Queen’s University Belfast, to examine whether this is a political blip or a watershed moment for Germany and Europe.

Far-right AfD Win in Germany Is ‘Grave Moment’ for Europe, Politicians Warn

THE GUARDIAN: Mainstream politicians express alarm while lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt welcomes congratulations from Elon Musk

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party co-leaders Alice Weidel (right) and Tino Chrupalla, and lead Saxony Anhalt candidate, Ulrich Siegmund (left), at a press conference on Monday. Photograph: Liesa Johannssen/Reuters
Mainstream politicians around Europe have expressed alarm after the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) swept to a historic state election victory in Germany, while nationalist figures cheered the result as a mandate for change.

While falling just short of an absolute majority, the AfD surged into first place in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on Sunday, exit polls ⁠showed, putting the far right within reach of power at the state level for the first time since the second world war.

Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, told a party gathering in Madrid on Monday that the result showed that “the extremist threat, largely thanks to the surrender of the traditional right, is gaining ground in Europe and in the world”.

France’s finance minister, Roland Lescure, said it “clearly sends out a very, very worrying signal … This shows that we face a major challenge in the face of a populist wave which is spreading around the world today and which we must resist.”

Lescure’s comments echoed similar remarks on Sunday evening by France’s European affairs minister, Benjamin Haddad, who posted on social media: “To see the far right ⁠prevail in the German regional election marks a very grave moment for Europe.” » | Jon Henley | Europe correspondent | Monday, September 7, 2026

Es kommen wieder die Nazis! Mir ist ganz klar, und es sollte Ihnen auch ganz klar sein, dass etliche Deutsche wenig oder gar nichts von ihrer Geschichte gelernt haben. Dass sie bereit sind, alles aufs Spiel zu setzen ist nichts weniger als erstaunlich! Es ist auch beunruhigend. — © Mark Alexander

AfD Dominates Saxony-Anhalt: A Turning Point for Germany? | DW News

Sep 6, 2026 | The AfD has emerged as the dominant force in Saxony-Anhalt, but election victories do not automatically translate into political power. What drove voters to back the party, and what does the result mean for Germany's political future?

Brent Goff speaks with political correspondents Matthew Moore and Bernd Riegert, DW Berlin bureau chief Max Hofmann, and historian and author Katja Hoyer. They break down the results, reactions from party headquarters, the challenge of forming a government, the pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the wider implications for German politics.

Germany’s Far Right Tops Key State Race, but Falls Short of Power

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Alternative for Germany party is projected to finish first in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. But lacking a majority, without the help of other parties it cannot become the first far-right party to govern a state since 1945.

The Alternative for Germany party dominated a crucial state election on Sunday, according to near-final results, but fell short of the absolute majority that would have made it the first far-right party to govern part of the country since the Nazi era.

If those results hold, the AfD, as the party is known by its German initials, could still assume power in the eastern Saxony-Anhalt state in the coming weeks, depending on the outcome of negotiations among rival parties that have vowed not to support an AfD government.

Saxony-Anhalt is a relatively small state, and the heart of the AfD’s power base in eastern Germany. But the result has sent shock waves through the country’s political system, which was designed after World War II to prevent extremist parties from ever returning to power.

The political establishment has treated the AfD as a pariah, but the party tapped into voter frustration on a wide range of economic and social issues to win about 44 percent of the vote in the state, and was set to claim 39 of the 83 seats in the Parliament.

“We’ve made history, and we’re taking our country back,” Ulrich Siegmund, the party’s candidate to lead the state, told a cheering crowd on Sunday evening. “It all starts here in Saxony-Anhalt.” Live Updates » | Jim Tankersley and Christopher F. Schuetze | Reporting from Berlin and Magdeburg, Germany | Sunday, September 6, 2026

Protesters Demonstrate Against Germany’s Far-Right Party

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Ahead of the election in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, protesters demonstrated against the AfD, the far-right party. Surveys suggest the AfD could be the first far-right party to win a state election since World War II. | By Jorge Mitssunaga | Saturday, September 5, 2026

Watch the NYT video here »

Far-right AfD Leads Polls ahead of Crucial Saxony-Anhalt State Election in Germany | DW News

Sep 5, 2026 | It’s the final day of campaigning ahead of a crucial state election in Germany that could give the far-right a mandate to govern for the first time. Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany is heading into Sunday’s Saxony-Anhalt election with a strong lead in the polls, even though authorities have designated the party’s state branch as anti-constitutional and a far-right extremist group. Rival parties have ruled out working with the AfD, while nearly a third of voters remain undecided.

Could Germany’s Far Right Take Power in a State for the First Time? | DW News

Sep 5, 2026 | A regional election this weekend could fundamentally change the political landscape in Germany. The far-right AfD is on course for a resounding victory and could take over a state government for the first time. The latest opinion polls puts the AfD at 42%. That’s nearly double their closest rivals the conservative CDU.

The Far Right's Rise: Is Germany at a Breaking Point? | To the Point

Sep 4, 2026 | Saxony-Anhalt faces a pivotal election. The AfD, led by top candidate Ulrich Siegmund, is polling strongly and could achieve a historic breakthrough. What would an AfD victory mean for the state, and what impact could it have on Germany as a whole?

On "To the Point", our guests discuss the rise of the AfD, the shifting political landscape, voter concerns, and the potential consequences of this election.

New Far-right German Party Adopts Former Secret Nazi Symbol

THE GUARDIAN: AfD politician quits to set up party that uses symbol of 1930s Austrian Nazis in logo

A German politician has left the far-right Alternative for Germany to set up a new party with a logo that uses a symbol adopted as a secret sign by Austrian Nazis in the 1930s.

André Poggenburg resigned from his post as the AfD’s regional leader in eastern Saxony-Anhalt state last year after labelling Turks as “camel drivers” and immigrants with dual nationality a “homeless mob we no longer want”. He announced his resignation from the party in an email sent to the leadership earlier this week. » | Josie Le Blond in Berlin | Friday, January 11, 2019

Herzlich Willkommen!
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Nude hikers in Germany have a new place to indulge their hobby. One keen naturist has announced the opening of a hiking trail exclusively for those who enjoy walking in the buff.

Heinz Ludwig, who owns a campsite and restaurant in the small village of Dankerode in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, has another passion beside serving food and providing tents: naked hiking. He is the initiator of a new walking path meandering 18 kilometers (11 miles) through the Harz mountain range in central Germany, which he claims is Germany's first official naked hiking trail.

The official opening ceremony and inaugural walk will take place at the start of the hiking season next May, but hikers are already using the trail, which opened to the public this week. "The only problem I have is that nobody seems willing to take part in the inaugural walk," Ludwig told local media.

Although plenty of people are interested in taking to the hills in nothing but their birthday suits, he says, many are afraid that, if they take part in the high-profile event, images of their naked bodies will pop up on the Internet and in newspapers and magazines all over the world.

However those who shun the pursuit of nude walking are given ample warning if they happen to stumble across the new path. "If you don't want to see naked people, then you shouldn't go past this point," a sign at the beginning of the path reads. The track also leads past a small lake, which has for years been known amongst locals as a hotspot for the unclothed.

The general response to the opening of the new path has so far been positive, which is not surprising given the fact that nudism is more entrenched in the history of Germany than many might expect. The country has a tradition of naturism -- known by its German acronym of FKK -- dating back to the late 19th century, and nude bathing is widely accepted, especially on designated beaches on the Baltic Sea coast. Naked Wanderlust: Germany's First Nudist Hiking Trail Opens >>> Josie Cox | Wednesday, September 23, 2009

FKK (Freikörperkultur) >>>