Although falling short of an outright majority, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland significantly undermined the ruling conservatives in the impoverished eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt. This victory prompts critical questions about the repercussions of supporting an anti-immigrant, pro-Russian party that advocates for schools to minimize the atrocities of Hitler while glorifying Bismarck.
Will this momentum further fuel the far-right in countries like Sweden, heading to the polls this Sunday, or in France, where the right-wing is favored to win next spring’s presidential election? The movement’s growing normalization is evident as Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen’s party, met with Nigel Farage of the Reform UK party before being invited to address Italian business leaders at a recent forum. Does this signal the final normalization of movements once considered fringe?
Meanwhile, as mainstream parties in France and Germany struggle to counter the rise of MAGA and Putin-backed formations, what strategies can they offer to reclaim disillusioned voters? It is worth asking which leader—Germany’s Friedrich Merz or outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron—stands on shakier political ground.
