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Adam Pankratz: AfD's rise a sign that European leaders have failed their citizens

If the mainstream parties hope to retain power, they must confront their past failings

Over the weekend, a thunderbolt reverberated through German politics as the right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party took home a thumping victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, receiving 43.8 per cent of the vote. Its next-closest rival, the centrist Christian Democratic Union (CDU), came in a distant second at 17.2 per cent. Notable were the vote differences from 2021: the AfD’s share went up 23 points, while the CDU lost nearly 20 points.

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However, due to Germany’s system of proportional representation, the AfD does not have an absolute majority in the state legislature and will need the support of another party — likely the socially conservative but economically left-leaning Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, which received 5.3 per cent — if it is to govern.

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