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Writer's pictureKatie McCarthy

Bundestagswahl 2021: What you need to know about the AfD

The rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has become one of Germany’s most concerning political developments over the past decade. The far-right party holds seats in the Bundestag, European parliament and all state parliaments, subsequently becoming Germany’s largest opposition party.

The AfD's logo. Photo: Alternative für Deutschland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons


The pandemic and federal election have provided the AfD with the perfect opportunity to disrupt the political landscape. The former has presented the party with yet another crisis to exploit for electoral success, and the latter will end 16 years of Merkel continuity, making the AfD’s call for a political alternative more relevant than ever.


Yet, the party seems to have faltered in the face of this opportunity. What does this mean for the AfD in the upcoming federal election? Is this the beginning of the end for the party, or is its right-wing radicalism still a considerable threat to German politics?


Here is everything you need to know about the AfD.


History of the party


The AfD was founded in 2013 in response to the Eurozone Crisis. In recent years, the party has moved away from a Eurosceptic stance towards a more extremist and xenophobic one. This shift was primarily motivated by the 2015 Refugee Crisis. The party capitalised on anti-immigration sentiment in Germany and entered the Bundestag for the first time in 2017.


With the party continuing to move towards the right, political factions have naturally emerged. Der Flügel (The Wing) is an extremist faction that often stands at odds with more moderate members and threatens their control over the party.


In March 2021, the party was put under the surveillance of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The AfD was officially declared a Verdachtsfall (suspected case), which has only helped to emphasise its far-right stance and alienate moderate voters.


Performance during the pandemic


For a party that continuously profits from crises, the AfD’s performance during the pandemic has been poor. Its appeal to voters in the last year has been somewhat diluted by its confusing and contradictory approach to coronavirus. The party was criticising the government’s slow vaccine rollout and calling for immunising the population, whilst also working to gain the support of those with an anti-mask, anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination stance.


Such mistakes have manifested in recent regional elections. The party experienced considerable losses in the Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate elections in March, receiving less than 10% of votes. Just five years ago, the party was celebrating its 15% share of the vote in these regions.


Election promises


The AfD’s candidates for the chancellery were chosen in May. Co-chairman of the party Tino Chrupalla and Bundestag co-leader Alice Weidel were elected by party members with 71% of the vote.


Members also voted on the party’s election manifesto. The AfD’s 2021 campaign slogan is ‘Germany. But normal’, keeping in line with its typically anti-immigration, anti-abortion and homophobic agenda. ‘Normality’ within this context refers to the reintroduction of compulsory military service and the banning of minarets, as well as the party’s promotion of a traditional nuclear family model.


The party’s most striking election promise is its pledge to take Germany out of the European Union. Party members believe this to be a necessary step if Germany wishes to progress on a national level, but they have not ruled out the creation of a ‘new European community of economies and interests.’


Looking towards the election


Recovery from the pandemic will play a significant role in the federal election this year. The party’s failure to offer any constructive criticism, or even resolutions for that matter, does not stand them in good stead for electoral success.


The AfD is well-known for its ability to pick up so-called Nichtwähler (non-voters) at the polls, having received over a million votes from this group in 2017. It is possible that these Nichtwähler will choose to stay at home this year, with the party having failed to shake up German politics enough as an anti-mainstream party.

Perhaps more than any other party, it will be important to monitor the AfD in the coming months and in the aftermath of the election. Any party that threatens German democracy is a party not wanted in Germany.

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