This week, the right-wing Alternative for Deutschland party suffered one of its first setbacks of the year, after it failed to win the mayoral election of Nordhausen, a small town in the region of Thuringia. Normally, Germany wouldn’t have much interest in the likes of Nordhausen, population 40,000. But this election has gained outsize significance for Germans worried about the seemingly unstoppable rise of the AfD. The party is currently on 22 per cent in the polls nationally and is set to become the largest party in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg in regional elections next year.
The AfD has been underestimated in Germany for some time. When it first came to prominence in the 2017 federal elections, winning a stunning 12 per cent vote share, Germans were shocked, but thought the party wouldn’t last. The refugee crisis of 2015-16 was still fresh in voters’ minds, and many presumed the populists would fade away when immigration became less salient.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in