AfD has won the strongest far-right victory in Germany since the Nazis. They aim to create pro-police militias, defund “anti-German” art and to stop teaching about Germany’s Nazi past.
Details. Receiving the most votes in the Saxony-Anhalt state legislature at 43.8%, far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is set to replace the conservative CDU governor. Though it has fallen 3 seats short of an outright majority, it could form a new administration through an agreement with the social-chauvinist BSW or by attracting CDU defectors.
► A new AfD-led state government would allow the party to turn Saxony-Anhalt into a showcase of far-right governance, propelling their platform onto the national stage. Their plans reportedly include forming a vigilante militia to assist police, cutting migration programmes, defunding museums exhibiting "anti-German" art, and removing mentions of the Nazi era from the school curriculum.
► In the last national parliamentary election, the AfD won a considerable 20% of the vote. Now they are closing in on 2 other states, with the latest national polling rising to nearly 30%. This makes the far-right AfD the biggest political party in Germany.
► The AfD's national programme focuses on severe cuts to immigration and increased deportations, welfare and tax cuts, restoring ties with Russia, and withdrawal from the euro. Ulrich Siegmund, the state’s top AfD representative, declared “All of Germany is moving”. They use populist rhetoric about opposing the “current financial capitalism” which resonates with many German workers discontent with worsening economic conditions.
► Despite their rhetoric, economic calculations show that AfD’s planned tax and welfare cuts will most benefit the rich while financially harming the poor. According to those estimates, the poorest bracket of German workers would lose an estimated €440 per year, while the richest would gain nearly €20,000.
► Trump congratulated the AfD's result, euphemistically calling the party he and his allies have long championed "The Populist Party." Top Russian official Kirill Dmitriev also praised the result, promising closer ties between Russia and the German party.
Context. Looming behind this result is the severe economic crisis in the eastern state, one of the poorest in Germany. Unemployment and poverty in Saxony-Anhalt sit well above the national average, the fruit of the post-1990 privatisation and liquidation of local industry built under the socialist GDR.
► This comes as Chancellor Merz's approval rating has sunk to historic lows, with both his CDU and the reformist Die Linke declining in the state. He had already broken his party's promise to cut electricity bills through tax reform, cutting social services, and increasing state debt.
► The "firewall”, a CDU-led agreement with the other German parties not to cooperate with the AfD, is under pressure. Though willing to run a minority government in the state, if the AfD is able to form a coalition government in Saxony-Anhalt, it could form a crack in the “firewall” and hasten the collapse of the bourgeois strategy.
Important to Know. AfD's state victory is a major expression of the ongoing fascisation in Europe. Supported and funded by capitalists like Elon Musk, European far-right parties have seen considerable political gains.
► The AfD's rise reflects the failure of the ruling parties to address workers' increasingly dire conditions. The party's "anti-establishment" stance is manufactured by the German bourgeoisie to misdirect economic discontent into nationalism and scapegoating, rather than class struggle.
► Germany’s weak communist movement has completely failed to oppose this development. The country’s “left” remains dominated by reformists, opportunists, and centrists – foremost “Die Linke” (The Left) party. As communist repression increases across Europe, correct theory, a decisive struggle against deviations, and firm organisation are needed to build a real communist party capable of leading the German proletariat.