Germany's AFD could become 1st far-right party to hold state power since WWII.
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AFD → become → WWII
What could that mean?
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that → mean → What
Experts say victory in Sunday’s vote could give AfD control over many state resources
On a warm August afternoon in the quiet eastern German town of Quedlinburg, thousands gathered to hear what a popular far-right leader had to say about the country's future.
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leader → say → future
Many came on their Simson motorcycles, which have become a cultural symbol for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, to meet Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's candidate to lead the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
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which → come → Anhalt
The party is soaring in opinion polls and in a regional election on Sunday, it could become the first far-right party to hold state power in Germany since the Second World War.
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it → soar → War
Experts say the AfD would gain significant political leverage over state resources in areas such as education, where it hopes to achieve goals such as creating separate classrooms for refugees, normalizing relations with Russia through student exchange programs and promoting a patriotism agenda that includes focusing less on the country's Nazi past.
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that → say → past
"I think [Siegmund] speaks from his heart, from our hearts," Luca Stemmler, 17, said during the gathering in Quedlinburg.
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Siegmund → think → Quedlinburg
Across the street from the motorcycle rally, counter-protesters waved rainbow flags and sang All You Need Is Love by The Beatles — a show of solidarity against a party some fear will challenge basic human rights and overhaul key aspects of Germany's postwar democratic order.
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You → wave → order
"I think this is something that might have ripple effects throughout Germany, throughout the European Union and thus also on a global stage," said Marcus Böick, a University of Cambridge historian who is from Saxony-Anhalt.
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who → think → Anhalt
"Once they're in power, it's very hard to get rid of them."
How the AfD could hold state power
The country's major political parties refuse to collaborate with extremist parties in a strategy known as "the firewall," which is meant to safeguard Germany's postwar democracy.
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which → rid → democracy
If opinion polls translate to votes — which experts say is possible, but not certain — the other parties may not be able to block the AfD out of the state government.
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parties → translate → government
In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is leading in opinion polls at 42 per cent, according to German election research company Infratest-Dimap, which surveyed 1,511 eligible voters online and over the phone between Aug. 24 and 25.
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which → lead → Aug.
The party also leads national opinion polls at 28 per cent, according to Infratest-Dimap, and secured the second highest number of seats in the 2025 federal election.
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party → lead → election
The AfD began in 2013 as an anti-Euro party, but shifted its focus to issues surrounding migration in 2015, when then chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees from countries such as Syria into Germany.
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Merkel → begin → Germany
The AfD calls for "remigration," a term often used in right-wing circles to refer to mass deportations of people who come from a migration background.
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who → call → background
In Saxony-Anhalt, it promises to ban immigration from non-European Union countries it deems problematic, establish hundreds of detention centres for deportees and create separate classrooms for refugee children.
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it → promise → children
Akinola Sanyaolu, who moved to Saxony-Anhalt's capital city of Magdeburg six years ago from Nigeria, says many people he works with blame immigrants for the country's political or economic problems.
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he → move → problems
He said he's experienced many instances of racism in the city, but tries to remain positive because he wants to stay in the country where he's built a home.
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he → say → home
"I feel attacked, but what can I do?" said Sanyaolu.
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Sanyaolu → feel → what
They don't know what it is to be a foreigner.
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it → know → ?
I know what it is.
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it → know → ?
I'm the one feeling it."
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I → feel → it
States have autonomy in many areas including environment, education, cultural policy and policing.
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States → have → environment
The Saxony-Anhalt AfD lists its specific goals in a lengthy government manifesto.
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AfD → list → manifesto
They include banning Pride flags in schools and revising the state's history curricula to focus more on what it says are the positive aspects of Germany's past.
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it → include → past
The party also defines a "healthy family" as a father, mother and children.
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party → define → father
I would say, 'Make Saxony-Anhalt great again.'-
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Anhalt → say → ?
Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, AfD politician in Saxony-Anhalt
Anki Wolf and Miriam Siemon recently got engaged, but their celebrations have been tainted by fear of rising political extremism.
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celebrations → get → extremism
The lesbian couple live part-time in the state's small city of Dessau and they want to have kids.
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they → live → kids
But they question whether it's safe to raise a family in Germany while fighting increasing homophobia.
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it → question → homophobia
"What is happening when there is a child involved?
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What → happen → ?
Can I say with my heart, I can stay here and I can protect this child?" said Wolf.
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Wolf → say → child
The AfD in Saxony-Anhalt is designated as right-wing extremist by the state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which monitors extremist threats.
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which → designate → threats
Party members have come under fire for using language associated with Nazi groups and experts say many have ties to far-right, ethnonationalist movements.
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many → come → movements
If the AfD holds state power it could control state-level domestic intelligence services, which is reportedly raising concerns in part due to the party's ties to Russia.
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which → hold → Russia
Party lawmakers have reportedly praised and visited the country, and in the Saxony-Anhalt AfD's government manifesto, it states that it has a strong interest in good relations with Russia both "economically and culturally."
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it → praise → Russia
A few days before the motorcycle rally, hundreds of AfD supporters congregated in the town of Querfurt.
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hundreds → congregate → Querfurt
Many lined up for hours to get a signed T-shirt with Siegmund's face on the front.
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Many → line → front
The polished 35-year-old is from a small town in Saxony-Anhalt and has more than 800,000 TikTok followers.
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old → have → followers
"Here, no one is a right-wing extremist," he said in German to his supporters at the festival.
"
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he → say → festival
…and 18 more, not listed.
