Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Charlotte Feakins

The far right is becoming normalised in Germany – and winning. Australia should take heed

A participant displays a placard with the lettering 'No AfD' in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on 7 September 2026.
A participant displays a placard with the lettering 'No AfD' in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on 7 September 2026. Photograph: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images

The recent win for the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany is shocking, except it’s not shocking. The writing has been on the wall for quite some time.

Last Sunday, the far-right, pro-Russian and anti-immigration AfD won almost 44% of the vote in the election in Saxony-Anhalt, a largely rural state in the former East Germany, more than doubling its previous result and finishing far ahead of the Christian Democrats.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.