What are the implications of AfD’s electoral rise for Germany and Europe?

The far-right Alternative for Germany is just short of a majority in a regional election.

Early results show the Alternative for Germany finished on top in Sunday’s election in the east German state of Saxony-Anhalt, with about 44 percent of the vote. The AfD is now close to becoming the first far-right party to lead a German state since World War II. It’s benefitted from voters’ economic concerns and increasing anger over immigration.

The party is also leading in national polls. But Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has classified its branch in Saxony-Anhalt as a proven right-wing extremist group – a label the AfD has rejected. Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists there can be no co-operation with the AfD, and mainstream German parties have been maintaining a ‘firewall’ against forming coalitions with the far-right. But it’s not clear if the strategy will hold.

So, what does the AfD’s rise mean for Germany – from its immigration policy to its role in Europe?

Olaf Boehnke – Berlin Director of the political consultancy Rasmussen Global and former Senior Advisor in the German Bundestag

Max Otte – Founder of Privatinvestor Capital and a 2022 German presidential candidate

Ulrich Brueckner – Professor of European Studies at Stanford University in Berlin