Across Europe, far-right parties continue to gain ground—and Germany is no exception. In November last year, the governing coalition of SPD, Grüne, and FDP collapsed after the FDP made demands that clashed with the coalition agreement. But the real political earthquake came on 29th January, just 26 days before early general elections: the CDU and FDP cooperated with the far-right AfD to pass a non-binding motion calling for harsher immigration policies.
The backlash was immediate. Critics came from within the CDU and FDP themselves, as well as from the SPD, Grüne, and Linke. Even former Chancellor Angela Merkel, a CDU stalwart, publicly opposed the move. Both Protestant and Catholic churches condemned the policy as “not constructive” and “partly illegal.”
Public sentiment mirrored the uproar. Since the 29th, the CDU has dropped 2% in the polls, while Grüne, Linke, and BSW each gained 1%. Current polling data suggests a number of possible coalition scenarios for the next government: CDU/SPD/Grüne, CDU/SPD, CDU/Grüne, or CDU/AfD. But with CDU’s collaboration with the AfD, the first three now appear less likely. This is especially true of the Grüne, whom CDU leader Friedrich Merz recently labelled the “main opponent,” despite the growing influence of the far right.
While Merz has publicly ruled out a coalition with the AfD, speculation remains. In a Forsa poll for RTL-Deutschland, 41% of respondents believed Germany could follow Austria’s lead, where a centre-right party is now negotiating with the far-right to form a coalition.
To help voters better understand the political spectrum, Germany’s Wahl-o-Mat—an online tool that compares users’ responses to party platforms—was used in a recent experiment. Five AI models, including ChatGPT and DeepSeek, were asked to answer the tool’s questions as if they were German citizens. Across all five, the top three matches were Die Linke, Grüne, and SPD, though the order varied.
Meanwhile, a separate survey showed 59% of respondents disapproved of Merz cooperating with the AfD. 62% listed the protection of democracy and the fight against right-wing extremism as the most important issue in the upcoming election—above economic development (55%) and crime and internal security (49%).
The controversy around the AfD didn’t end with parliamentary motions. The party is currently under investigation for the origin of a €2.3 million donation, suspected to have come from outside the EU. Additionally, a live interview between AfD chancellor candidate Alice Weidel and Elon Musk—broadcast on X—has raised legal concerns, being considered by some as an illegal foreign donation. These concerns have helped explain why Germany dropped from 9th to 15th place in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Public outrage spilled into the streets. Protests began in January 2024 after revelations that members of the AfD, CDU, and other far-right groups had secretly met to plan the deportation of asylum seekers and “non-assimilated” German citizens. Protests have continued throughout the year, especially as regional and general elections approach.
Since 29th January, demonstrations have intensified. More than 250,000 protested in Munich, 160,000 in Berlin, and 65,000 in Hamburg, with thousands more participating across the country.
Despite the scale of the protests, political leaders have largely ignored or dismissed them. Merz went as far as to say he does “not take [the protests] seriously.” The televised debate between Merz and SPD candidate Olaf Scholz focused mainly on migration and the economy, with the protests barely mentioned.
