Germany Election Sees ‘Far-Right’ Victory That Surprises that Nation and Shocks the Media

In Germany, they held regional elections, and there is a shakeup of things in that nation’s power structure. In the state of Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right-described Alternative for Deutschland Party (AfD) saw significant victories.

This result has sent tremors throughout the German authorities, and it has seen the American press become hysterical over the implications. This represents a direct impact on Chancellor Frederich Merz’s leadership. His already shaken coalition is now facing further fracturing. That he is part of the problems leading to the rise of AfD power is the significant challenge he faces.

Eastern situated Saxony-Anhalt faces two interconnected issues; it has been hit by a bad economy, and it is dealing with an influx of immigration. There are still significant tensions in that country over the East German past, and Merz’s unpopular government continues with its permissive approach to immigrants flooding into the country. The rise of support for the AfD is hardly surprising.

What is at odds in the German parliament is what has been dubbed the “political firewall” in Germany. There is a standard in place that stipulates that political parties are bidden to not work with entities considered to be extremist. There is a twofold problem with this policy.

As the New York Times explains, this results in “a fundamental disagreement among Germans about what constitutes a risk to democracy.” The first challenge is seen with just who it is that declares what is or is not called extremist. The next is looking at the voting results.

The voting shows it was a nearly even split of opposition and support regarding this extremist opinion. When half of the vote supports a cause, that sounds more mainstream than extreme. The opponents were fractured over the other parties, but those who do not regard extremism were nearly in full support of the AfD. Polls peg support in Saxon-Anhalt at 87%. Then you fold in the argument that the overly permissive leftist policies of Merz could be seen as the extremist position, which nearly half of the voters felt to be the case.

The AfD policies forwarded have not echoed Nazi platforms, but instead seek to address the immigration problems and school reforms, and other German-forward designs. What is not seen is the forceful takeover of the ruling class.

Still, any trend towards nationalism in Germany will raise the hackles politically. The media are doing their best to paint this AfD victory as one for the extremists. In fact, in most cases, they go further, invoking a predictable explanation.

The Associated Press explains that this represents, “a very good chance of forming the first far-right state government since the Nazi era.” Then we have Sky News also leaning into Hitlerian language: “A regional election has sparked alarm, including from Holocaust survivors.”

CBS News takes things from that point, and sprints with the ball. Just behold the level of hysteria and promise of doom it delivers in this supposedly objective report.

Germany has found itself in a state of shock after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), an anti-immigration and socially conservative party, surged to a historic victory in Sunday’s regional election in Saxony-Anhalt. pic.twitter.com/uqK37yo2cA

— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 7, 2026

It is telling that the approach to things here is one of extremes. There are seemingly only two ways to look at politics in Germany. You are either in favor of the current open borders liberalism that is in place (and leading to problems) or you want to bring back the Third Reich.

It is the common tactic seen in the press. Politicians and parties that trend to the conservative are rarely described as simply such. “Right Wing”, “far Right”, “extreme Right” are the norm. Meanwhile, far less common are “Left-wing” and the like, even in the current environment with the rise of the Democratic Socialists. Somehow those in the DSA openly touting communist policy are not described as “Left wing extremists”.

Time Magazine mentions “the legacy of Nazism has long kept the far right at the political margins.” It also quotes that “Germany’s Culture Minister, have said “the AfD’s rhetoric echoes that of the Nazis.” But there is an underlying contradiction in all of this rote extremism talk.

Merz, the other parties, and the press, have touted the need to ostracize the AfD and declare them an invalid party in Germany legislature. Yet doing so would negate the will of the people who voted for their choice of leadership. They want to stamp out the democratically elected party in the name of preserving democracy.

Merz is losing support everywhere. In Saxon-Anhalt his own party did not support him, with a meager 17% return, and he is seeing the general electorate turning on him. He currently has an approval rating that is dismal; his 20% figure is well below that of President Donald Trump. Further, in nationwide polls in Germany, the AfD leads all other parties.

So how does German leadership square that the AfD is the entity threatening democracy? The balance of the authorities want to disregard the will of the voters. They are looking at shutting out the party people voted in, and one with the widest support in the country, and are looking to retain the power of vastly unpopular leadership.

While there is understood caution in Germany over a rise of nationalism, at the same time those in power are the ones trending towards the very behavior they claim to want to eradicate.

They are telling the people their vote and their party is being disregarded, in the name of preserving democracy. That Orwellian double-speak carries all of the ominous overtones of the activity they say they are trying to prevent.

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