In a series of recent regional elections, right-wing populist forces have achieved historic gains in Germany, raising alarms among political observers and officials. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a landmark victory in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, capturing 43.8% of the vote. Although the party lacks an absolute majority to form a government alone, its performance marked a significant shift. The AfD’s state branch is classified as right-wing extremist by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, a designation that has concerned many citizens.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) described himself as “deeply shocked” by the results, noting that the political landscape had changed not just locally but across the entire nation. The CDU suffered heavy losses in Saxony-Anhalt, dropping from 37.1% in the 2021 election to just 17.2%. Two weeks later, on September 20, the situation worsened for the mainstream party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where it failed to clear the 5% threshold required to enter parliament—a first in the party’s history. There, the AfD again emerged as the strongest party with 38.2% of the vote.
While the socialist Left Party won the election in Berlin, the broader trend points to a weakening of the political center. Survey data from IPSOS indicates that 18% of Germans are worried by rising extremism, and a striking 82% believe the country is moving in the wrong direction. This sentiment echoes a dark historical memory, given Germany’s past under Nazi rule and the Socialist Unity Party (SED) in East Germany.
Experts suggest that beyond the vote totals, two forms of polarization are driving these shifts. Eva Walther, head of the social psychology department at the University of Trier, identifies “affective polarization,” where political opponents are viewed with increasing hostility, as a threat to democratic norms. Additionally, “ideological polarization” divides society along differing priorities; for instance, those on the right often cite migration as the primary concern, while those on the left prioritize the climate crisis.
Walther describes the current moment as one of “poly-crises,” where overlapping issues such as the climate emergency and the affordable energy crisis intensify ideological divides. She notes that extremist parties thrive by offering simplified solutions to complex problems, thereby satisfying voters who feel their concerns are ignored. Kerstin Pahl of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development adds that infrastructure decay and other local issues are often interpreted by citizens not merely as policy failures, but as signs that their leaders have forgotten them.
According to Walther, democratic politicians must adopt a strategy akin to clinical care: they must first acknowledge and validate the pain and problems felt by their constituents. Even if immediate solutions are elusive, demonstrating that needs are seen and understood is crucial for rebuilding trust. As Walther concludes, when voters feel unheard, their frustration signals a breakdown in the political relationship that extremists are eager to exploit.
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