What Germany’s Election Means for America — and the World
The country’s next leader will face pressure from both Trump and the far right.
Eastern Germany
German election 2025: The winners and losers
The CDU is celebrating (somewhat), the SPD is reeling, and the AfD is making history.
Alice Weidel took the German far right to new heights. Here’s how she did it.
One in five voters in the German election favored the far right. The AfD leader’s dramatic rise terrifies many of the others.
Merkel ‘could not remain silent’ as she jabs Merz again over far-right AfD vote
Former German leader reiterates swipe at chancellor candidate from her own Christian Democratic Union ahead of Feb. 23 election.
Germany too focused on past guilt, Elon Musk tells AfD event – video
Tesla and SpaceX boss made supportive speech at a campaign event for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party in Halle, eastern Germany. Musk told attenders that Germany was too focused on past guilt and said the AfD was the best hope for …
Elon Musk makes surprise appearance at AfD event in eastern Germany
Tycoon tells 4,500 people at campaign event in Halle to be proud of German culture in speech via video linkElon Musk made a surprise appearance during Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) election campaign event in Halle in eastern Germany on Sa…
Germany’s far-right firewall weakens as Merz pledges migration crackdown
Germany’s conservative candidate, Friedrich Merz, suggested he’d push through tougher migration measures even with AfD support.
Two killed and four seriously injured in bus crash on German motorway
Coach en route from Berlin to Polish city of Szczecin ended up on its side near Prenzlau, north-east of German capitalA bus accident on a motorway in north-eastern Germany on Saturday left two people dead and another four seriously injured, police said…
‘They’ve heard so much wrong information’: Selling heat pumps across Germany’s political divide
Green heating has an image problem, especially where climate-sceptic parties hold sway. Now energy groups are promoting them on grounds of cost, status and energy securityA few dozen people had gathered on the dancefloor of the nightclub in eastern Ger…
Eight suspected members of far-right terror cell arrested in Germany
Group alleged to have been plotting armed takeover of eastern regions to establish a Nazi-inspired regimePolice in Germany have arrested eight suspected members of a far-right terror cell alleged to have been plotting the armed takeover of eastern regi…
As a former East German athlete doped by the state, I see how our past pain is fuelling the far right | Ines Geipel
In east Germany, our history is shrouded in lies and silence. Until we break their hold, support for extremism will flourishIt was the autumn of 1989. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germans were fighting for their first chance to live in a demo…
Germany’s far right is winning over the young
A dance track and online video game hyping mass deportations are some of the ways extreme-right groups are reaching the country’s youth.
Lukashenko’s prisoners used as cheap labor by far-right German onion tycoon
Alternative for Germany is back in the spotlight over Saxony politician’s business dealings in Belarus.
The Guardian view on Olaf Scholz’s struggling coalition: running out of time | Editorial
A pyrrhic victory for social democrats in the latest state election offers scant consolation. The German far right continues to strengthenThe name of Germany’s beleaguered chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was not on the ballot on Sunday, as his home state of B…
Scholz’s party fends off far-right AfD in German state vote
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) looked set to fend off the far-right in a state election in eastern Germany. The SPD scored 31.9% of the vote, ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) on 29.2% in a last-minute comeba…
Germany’s Scholz risks Biden’s fate
If the chancellor’s SPD party loses a crucial regional election to the far right on Sunday, it could lead to his ouster from the top spot.
Will Brandenburg follow the far-right surge in eastern Germany?
The third and final eastern German state of Brandenburg heads to the polls in just a couple of days. With the government already adopting far-right policies in a bid to hold on to voters, how is the vote likely to play out?
German conservative leader announces chancellor candidacy
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, appears likely to become Germany’s next chancellor based on current polling.
Bridge partially collapses in Germany’s Dresden
Officials are investigating why part of a bridge in eastern Germany collapsed early Wednesday, disrupting a major traffic artery in Dresden and interrupting the city’s heating system.
Putin ‘wins’ in eastern Germany
A post-election debate over U.S. missiles and military aid for Ukraine is hampering coalition building in Germany’s east.
Berlin feels like an island in a swamp of neofascism – but the flood waters are rising | Fatma Aydemir
I feel safe in the capital. An hour’s drive away, white-pride tattoos remind me that we Berliners can’t take our safe, hedonistic lives for granted any moreI live on an island. I tend to forget this, but now with the last days of summer still perfect f…
Europe reels from far-right victory in eastern Germany elections
Will the results from Saxony and Thuringia influence Germany’s energy transition and support for Ukraine?
Regional election results pose dilemma for Germany’s Ukraine supporters
As the Russia-friendly BSW part has become the new pivotal player in Eastern Germany, the country’s Russia hawks appear poised to make concessions and tone down their rhetoric to form stable governments.
German progressive parties to blame for far-right election victory, says leading French left-wing MEP
Germany’s progressive parties bear significant responsibility for the historic surge in support for the far-right AfD in Sunday’s state elections in eastern Germany, Manon Aubry, the French co-chair of the Left Group in the European Parliament, told Eu…
The far-right’s disturbing success in eastern Germany
Even outside government, the AfD can exert a pernicious influence
The Guardian view on the rise of AfD: winning an election won’t mean it wins power | Editorial
The emergence of the far right as a political force in eastern Germany is a concern for Europe’s biggest economyOn Sunday, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first far-right party to win a German state elec…
5 takeaways from Germany’s eastern elections
The far-right Alternative of Germany just keeps rising despite efforts to stop it.
AfD’s historic win: Four key takeaways from eastern Germany’s pivotal state elections
Here’s a quick roundup of the four main things we learned from this weekend’s elections in Saxony and Thuringia.
Populists prevail in eastern Germany as wounds of past remain raw
Far-right Alternative for Germany party has upended political logic in regional elections
Rise of far right in Germany reflects ‘frustration’ with government
The growing popularity of far-right party AfD, which is poised to win state elections in eastern Germany, reflects “frustration with the current federal government”, said Thomas Konig, Professor of political science at the University of Mannheim. “It’…
In former East Germany, the far right pushes for the return of the ‘traditional woman’
In the states of eastern Germany, the far right promotes an ultraconservative female ideal, which runs counter to the dominant culture in these regions.
Far-right party looking to make gains in 2 state elections in eastern Germany
Germans are casting their votes on Sunday in Saxony and Thuringia, in the east of the country, in an election that could see the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) become the strongest party for the first time and produce painful results for the u…
Nerves rise over AfD threat as state elections in eastern Germany begin
With voters rejecting mainstream politics, many expect a disastrous results outcome for Olaf Scholz’s coalitionVoters in two eastern German states are about to go to the polls in elections that could see the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) …
The rise of extremes in eastern Germany
In Thuringia’s September 1 local elections, the far right is expected to come out on top. On the left, a significant surge is anticipated for Sahra Wagenknecht’s populist party, which is anti-immigration and in favor of lifting sanctions against Moscow.
How to watch the eastern German elections like a pro
The far right and far left are expected to surge in Sunday’s state elections.
Scholz government to face tough test in state elections
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government will face a stern electoral test this weekend, as the outcome of state elections in eastern Germany’s Saxony and Thuringia could throw his federal coalition into doubt.
Far right risks economic ‘catastrophe’ for eastern Germany, business warns
Industry groups say AfD’s success deters immigrants that the region badly needs
How the far right won over eastern Germany
By entrenching itself in small towns,
Alternative for Germany is breaking through the firewall designed to keep it out of power.
Germany announces tougher migration measures ahead of state elections
A recent deadly knife attack has put pressure on the government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to tighten immigration rules.
Putin’s next coup
Elections in three eastern German states are likely to usher in Russia-friendly parties, giving Vladimir Putin a foothold in the country’s politics.
Keir Starmer learns how not to lead from Olaf Scholz
On a visit to Berlin, the new U.K. prime minister may look at his German counterpart as a cautionary tale.
Migration smashes into German elections after deadly knife attack
The fierce debate following an attack the chancellor called “terrorism” may benefit the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Is Germany’s rising superstar so far left she’s far right?
Sahra Wagenknecht’s brand of “left conservatism” is upending German politics ahead of critical elections in the east.
German far right tries to seize on deadly knife attack ahead of crucial state elections
The AfD accuses the ruling coalition and the moderate center-right opposition of shortcomings on security.
German Left Party leaders step down following difficult election results
The party is hoping for a breath of fresh air ahead of upcoming state elections in eastern Germany.
More than 20 injured in ferris wheel fire at music festival in Germany
Blaze started in one gondola and spread to another at the Highfield festival near Leipzig on Saturday nightAt least 23 people were injured when two gondolas of a ferris wheel caught fire at a music festival near Leipzig in eastern Germany, the dpa news…
Germany’s Habeck signals he’ll run for chancellor
In an interview with POLITICO, Robert Habeck, Germany’s economy minister and a Greens leader, gives the strongest sign yet that he’ll run for the top job.
Extremist surge in eastern Germany threatens a political earthquake
Government parties and mainstream opposition face a dire set of results in three state elections next month
Germany’s East faces populist big bang at regional elections
Eastern Germany could be on the brink of a tectonic shift in the upcoming state elections, with the far-right AfD and the left-populist BSW predicted to make unprecedented gains, fuelling fears of future ungovernability in large parts of the country.