What Germany Says About Far-Right Politics
The Alternative for Germany is expected to fall short of its historic 2017 victory, but that doesn’t mean it has failed.
When Germany heads to the polls this weekend, the far-right Alternative for Germany will again be on the ballot, once a fringe presence that has become the largest—and most loathed—opposition party in the Bundestag. It has stood at the center of scandal after scandal, yet unlike other far-right parties across Europe, its experience in mainstream politics hasn’t had a moderating effect on its outlook. The AfD of 2021 is more established, but also more radical.
With Angela Merkel set to step down after 16 years in office following this weekend’s election, all eyes are on who is poised to replace her. Whatever the outcome, however, the AfD is all of the vote, falling short of in 2017.
