{"id":1395,"date":"2026-07-03T06:39:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T06:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1395"},"modified":"2026-07-03T06:39:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T06:39:21","slug":"the-far-right-alternative-for-germany-is-buoyant-as-it-eyes-a-slice-of-power-in-regional-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1395","title":{"rendered":"The far-right Alternative for Germany is buoyant as it eyes a slice of power in regional elections"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BERLIN (AP) \u2014 The far-right Alternative for Germany is in a buoyant mood as it holds a convention this weekend. It is capitalizing on the unpopularity of a government that\u2019s trying to reform the sluggish economy<\/span>, and eyeing promising prospects of power in an eastern region this fall. <\/p>\n

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Yet the anti-migration nationalist party is as polarizing as ever. Its meeting is expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters to the eastern city of Erfurt.<\/p>\n

An established political force<\/h2>\n

Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is meeting to elect its leaders, which German parties do every two years. It will aim to put on a show of unity as it extends the terms of Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who have run the party together for four years.<\/p>\n

In last year\u2019s national election<\/span>, AfD achieved the best showing by a far-right party since World War II. Its second-place finish left it as the biggest opposition party nationally and the strongest political force in Germany\u2019s formerly communist east. Its support has since climbed above the 20.8% it won then, with recent assessments putting it in first place.<\/p>\n

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Weidel said recently that \u201c2026 is a year of destiny for AfD.\u201d Mainstream parties say they won\u2019t work<\/span> with it, a stance often known as a \u201cfirewall.\u201d <\/p>\n

But it hopes to win 40% of the vote or more in a state election Sept. 6 in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt. That could put it on course for an absolute majority or in a position where it might try to attract defectors, paving the way for its first state governor. <\/p>\n

Another eastern state election follows two weeks later in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and AfD is optimistic there too.<\/p>\n

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A slice of power<\/h2>\n

\u201cAfD is standing before the gates of power, to some extent,\u201d said Albrecht von Lucke, a political expert who edits the magazine Bl\u00e4tter f\u00fcr deutsche und internationale Politik.<\/p>\n

AfD\u2019s first head of a county administration<\/span> was elected in 2023 in Thuringia, the state where Erfurt is located. No more have followed since, as enough voters rallied around mainstream candidates to prevent a repeat. <\/p>\n

But leading a state administration would be a far bigger prize. Germany\u2019s 16 states have extensive powers, for example in running the education system and in overseeing security matters. <\/p>\n

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Opponents worry about the prospect of AfD replacing large numbers of civil servants if it governs Saxony-Anhalt, and about the possibility of confidential information ending up in far-right circles or even Russia. \u201cAn AfD interior minister would be a security risk,\u201d Gregor Maier, Thuringia\u2019s center-left interior minister, told ARD television.<\/p>\n

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