Tonight is expected to be a monumental night for the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Polls have consistently placed them in a clear second place since the announcement of the elections, according to CNN. The fact that they might secure around 20% of the vote would represent a significant shift in the German political spectrum. In 2021, they only received 10%.
Recent regional and European elections could be a sign of their continuous growth. They finished second in the European Parliament vote and, on a regional level, in their strongholds in Eastern Germany, the state of Thuringia became the first German region to elect a far-right party since the Nazi era.
The party is staunchly anti-immigration and has been classified as a “suspected extremist,” which allows for increased surveillance by intelligence services.
Why They Won’t Be in Power: The challenges for this party will appear after the results, and in how the next German government is formed.
They are likely to seek a role in the government, but an unwritten rule of German politics essentially excludes any cooperation with far-right parties – known in German as the “brandmauer” – the protective wall.
Earlier in the campaign, Friedrich Merz tested the stability of this wall by passing several non-binding immigration laws with the support of AfD. This move sparked mass protests across Germany.
The most likely outcome is that they will remain outside any coalition, but they will undoubtedly claim that they were treated unfairly.
