Looking To The Right: The Rise of Populist Politics in Germany
The term populism is derived from the Latin word populus, which translates to "the people". It is a controversial term, but broadly, it is a concept that emphasizes “the people” versus the perceived elite. Essentially, it divides people into two camps: “the people” and “the others”. “The people” can refer to different groups in different contexts, so populism can relate to left or right-wing politics.
Established in 2013, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is a relatively new and rapidly growing right-wing populist party in Germany. Originally founded in opposition to policies of the Eurozone, since the 2015 European Migrant Crisis the AfD has embraced a platform of nationalism, anti-immigration, Islamophobia, and nativism. In early May, the AfD was classified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as an extremist organization because the "ethnicity-and ancestry-based conception of the people that predominates within the party is not compatible with the free democratic order." However, this classification was deferred as a result of a lawsuit filed by the AfD.
The growth in popularity of the AfD is evident in the 2025 federal election that occurred in February because the previous governing coalition collapsed in November 2024. The AfD gained 20.8% of the total vote, earning 152 seats in the Bundestag. It was the second winningest party, trailing behind the Christlich Demokratische Union (CDU), which is a centre-right party.
In the last decade, the AfD’s primary stronghold was in districts that were formerly members of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR)—the former communist state in East Germany. However, a recent local election held in Western Germany demonstrates the continued growth in support of the German far-right. On September 14th, local elections were held in the North Rhine-Westphalia, which is the most populous state in Germany. While Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party, the CDU, maintained the majority in this election, the AfD tripled its votes from 2020, receiving 16.5 % of the vote compared to 5.1% in 2020.
The AfD ascension reflects Western Europe’s trend towards populism and the right. Similar patterns are evident with Italy’s election of Giorga Meloni, who founded the Brothers of Italy, a far-right populist party in 2012. Like the AfD, the Brothers of Italy started with a platform of Euroscepticism, and both the AfD and Brothers of Italy have become more politically mainstream.
The AfD’s growing influence marks an important shift within Germany’s political landscape. Despite the AfD receiving the second-most votes in the 2025 federal election, the other parties refused to form a coalition with them because of their extremism. This is referred to as a “firewall”, which is “a direct result of the country’s post-World War II efforts to suppress parties and voices labeled extreme.” Even with this pushback from the opposition, the AfD is likely to shape debates and exert pressure on the Bundestag. Whether this firewall holds will be a defining factor of Germany’s political trajectory and democracy.