German politicians made a final push for support on Saturday, just ahead of pivotal elections where conservatives are expected to come out on top. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), known for its strong stance against mass immigration, has seen a significant surge in popularity.
The election on Sunday arrives during a challenging period for Europe and Germany, its largest economy. U.S. President Donald Trump recently shifted the West’s united approach to the Ukraine conflict by opening dialogue with Russia.
“Tomorrow, we will win the election, and this government’s nightmare will end,” said conservative leader Friedrich Merz at a rally in Munich. He pledged to be a “strong voice” for Europe during these turbulent times, drawing cheers from supporters.
Germany faces additional challenges from Trump’s trade war threats, further stressing an economy that has been shrinking for two years. Social tensions remain high over hot-button issues like immigration and safety.
Public unease has grown following a series of violent incidents, the latest involving a 30-year-old Spanish man seriously injured in a stabbing at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial on Friday. Authorities believe the Syrian suspect acted with an anti-Semitic motive.
Sunday’s election was called months earlier than planned after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition of Social Democrats, Greens, and the pro-business FDP collapsed in November. Scholz’s Social Democrats are polling at about 15%, while Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance has consistently led with around 30% support.
The AfD is poised to achieve a historic result, consistently polling in second place with roughly 20% backing. The party has gained traction amid public anger over a string of fatal knife attacks and car-ramming incidents tied to the large influx of Muslim migrants.
Just over a week before the vote, an Afghan man was arrested after driving a car into a rally in Munich, killing a mother and her two-year-old child while injuring dozens of others.
The AfD has drawn support from key figures in Trump’s circle, including tech billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance. The party aligns with Trump’s migration policies, opposes “woke” politics, and focuses on traditional energy sources. Similar to Trump, the AfD advocates for halting weapon supplies to Ukraine and easing tensions with Russia.
Immigration remains a major issue in Germany and a key driver of votes for the AfD. Since 2015-16, Germany has taken in over a million asylum seekers, primarily from Syria and Afghanistan, bringing the Muslim population to about 5.5 million, or 6.6% of the total population.
The AfD’s platform states that Islam does not align with German culture. However, the party maintains that it is not anti-immigrant, stressing that newcomers are welcome if they enter legally, find work, contribute to society, and follow local norms and traditions.
The party also calls for swift deportation of immigrants who commit crimes or enter the country illegally.
About the Alternative for Germany (AfD)
Established in 2013, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a populist party to the right of the CDU/CSU. Though it supports the single market, it opposes the European Union’s vision of a unified Europe. Members of the EU Parliament’s right-wing Identity and Democracy (ID) group have chosen to exclude representatives from the AfD.
Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist group. Some sections of the party are monitored due to anti-constitutional and extremist ideologies.
Authorities estimate that at least 20% of the party’s members hold these viewpoints. The AfD is represented in all German state parliaments and the Bundestag, with its strongest support in the eastern states.
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