State parliament elects Germany’s first far-right speaker since second world war Tobias Rausch secures role of president in Saxony-Anhalt after AfD’s election breakthrough The Guardian - UK · 20h ago
Germany is turning abandoned coal mines into 23 lakes and a wetland landscape In eastern Germany, enormous pits carved into the landscape by decades of lignite mining are being transformed into a vast network of lakes, wetlands and restored land. The Lusatian Lakeland, spread across Brandenburg and Saxony between Berlin and Dresden, is being created by flooding former open-cast mines and reshaping their… The Times of India · Oct 6
How the emojis and fashion choices of Germany’s far-right supporters get around the ban on Nazi symbolism In the wake of the Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) electoral success in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, commentators both in Germany and internationally have expressed concern with the party’s extreme right-wing policies. Among these concerns are recent calls from party elites to adopt “remigration” policies. The Conversation · Sep 23
The AfD is surging and Berlin is going to the polls. Could the ‘City of Freedom’ fall to the far right? IN FOCUS: After success in Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right AfD has trained its sights on state elections in the German capital of Berlin. In one of the world’s most liberal cities, the party is just four points off the lead in the polls. Alex Croft reports The Independent UK · Sep 19
I know why many east Germans vote AfD. And no, it’s not an inherited longing for dictatorship Grievance politics has grown in the east of the country where I was born. But west Germans have hard questions to answer too, says writer Carolin Würfel The Guardian - UK · Sep 15
‘This is our home’: German minorities defy far-right AfD’s culture of fear after election win IN FOCUS: The AfD’s victory in Saxony-Anhalt has sent shockwaves through Germany and Europe as far-right parties continue to rise across the continent. Intense hostility has left migrants and minorities in fear of attacks and abuse, Alex Croft reports The Independent UK · Sep 13
"Everything happening in Europe is result of systemic mistakes by the West": Putin on rise of 'Alternative for Germany' Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Western systemic mistakes for current European challenges. The far-right Alternative for Germany party surged to first place in Saxony-Anhalt elections. This historic win marks the first time a far-right party topped a state election since World War II. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged some past… The Economic Times · Sep 12
AfD’s new state MPs include ex-Stasi officer, former porn actor, neopagans and neo-Nazis Far-right German party’s newly elected representatives face fresh scrutiny as it tries to form government in Saxony-Anhalt The Guardian - UK · Sep 11
Why a small leftist party may help the radical right to power in Germany The extreme right-wing Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has won a decisive victory in a regional election in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, gaining nearly 44% of the vote. However, it fell just short of the outright majority needed to govern alone, so negotiations are underway to determine who will run… The Conversation · Sep 10
‘I fear the price could be high’: Inside the German city where the far right surged After the AfD’s landslide win in Saxony-Anhalt, people in the state capital share what they make of the result – and what comes next The Guardian - UK · Sep 9
Merz accuses AfD of ‘ethnic cleansing’ policy and cancels call with Trump German chancellor attacks Alternative für Deutschland after far-right party’s win in Saxony-Anhalt election The Guardian - UK · Sep 9
Anti-AfD protests sweep Germany as far right closes in on two more states Alarm that Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania may fall next after party’s Saxony-Anhalt election victory The Guardian - UK · Sep 8
Volkswagen's Osnabrück plant to switch from cars to defence Crisis-hit Volkswagen has struck a preliminary deal to sell its Osnabrück plant in Lower Saxony to the state government and Israeli investor Aurelius Capital. From mid-2027, the iconic factory is expected to start producing equipment for Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, the company behind the Iron Dome missile defence system. But… France 24 · Sep 7
German chancellor vows to stay in office despite AfD triumph in state election Friedrich Merz said his conservative CDU was shaken ‘to its very foundations’ after far-right victory in Saxony-Anhalt The Guardian - UK · Sep 7
Radio France Internationale · Sep 7 Merz ‘deeply shocked’ as far-right victory tests Germany’s political firewall The fallout from the AfD’s landslide in Saxony-Anhalt is testing Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s reform agenda, Germany’s support for Ukraine and the political firewall designed to keep the far-right out of power.
Euronews · Sep 7 Merz 'deeply shocked' after major AfD win in Saxony-Anhalt Speaking in Berlin on Monday, the German chancellor said he saw a society "longing for disruption" and "fundamental change."
France 24 · Sep 7 How far-right AfD breakthrough may ‘cause absolute chaos’ in Germany Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) came out well ahead in Sunday’s regional elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, becoming the first far-right party to come close to gaining power at the regional level since World War II. The lead candidate of the party in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, said Monday…
The Guardian - UK · Sep 7 Merz says ‘shock’ AfD victory in key German state ‘is an election result we cannot simply move past’ – as it happened German chancellor says vote for far-right party ‘will have repercussions’ across the country
Radio France Internationale · Sep 7 Far-right AfD scores historic win in Saxony-Anhalt, rattling Berlin and Paris The AfD’s record result in Saxony-Anhalt has sent shock waves through Germany and beyond, piling pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz and raising fresh concerns across Europe over the far-right’s advance.
Euronews · Sep 7 AfD's historic win splits Europe as populists cheer and Warsaw warns of 'traitors' Alternative for Germany's landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt has drawn celebration from Europe's populist right and sharp condemnation from Poland's prime minister.
France 24 · Sep 7 Germany’s Merz 'deeply shocked' by far-right AfD's historic electoral victory German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the press on Monday that he was "deeply shocked" by the far-right AfD's historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt's state election a day earlier. The AfD is labelled a "right-wing extremist" group by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, and some of its staff are former members of a…
Euronews · Sep 7 Ulrich Siegmund: From CDU member to AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund is the AfD's leading figure in Saxony-Anhalt: 35, media-savvy and aiming to be minister-president. At the next state election he wants to lead his party into government.
The Guardian - UK · Sep 7 Far-right AfD win in Germany is ‘grave moment’ for Europe, politicians warn Mainstream politicians express alarm while lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt welcomes congratulations from Elon Musk
International Business Times UK · Sep 6 Germany's Far-Right AfD Wins Saxony-Anhalt Election But Governing Majority Remains Uncertain Germany's far-right AfD won the Saxony-Anhalt election with 44% of the vote, but fell short of an absolute majority, leaving coalition possibilities uncertain and CDU in a distant second.
The Independent UK · Sep 6 Germany’s far-right AfD hails unprecedented election win: 3 scenarios for what happens next ANALYSIS: The pro-Russian AfD could become the first far-right party to take control of a regional parliament in Germany since the Second World War. Their victory creates a large political headache for the country’s leaders, report Chris Stevenson and James C Reynolds