Germany’s Far-Right Surge: Inside the AfD’s Rise, Radical Agenda, and the Battle for Democracy in 2025


Introduction: The AfD’s Ascent in a Divided Germany

The Alternative for Germany (AfD), once a fringe Eurosceptic party, has become a potent force in German politics. Founded in 2013 amid the Eurozone crisis, the AfD has morphed into a far-right populist movement capitalizing on anti-immigration sentiment, economic discontent, and disillusionment with mainstream parties. As Germany approaches snap elections on February 23, 2025, the AfD polls at 20–22%, second only to the center-right CDU/CSU alliance. This article examines the AfD’s ideology, voter base, policy agenda, and the societal backlash shaping Germany’s most contentious election in decades.

Germany’s Far-Right Surge: Inside the AfD’s Rise, Radical Agenda, and the Battle for Democracy in 2025

I. Ideological Evolution: From Euroscepticism to Völkisch Nationalism

1. Founding Principles and Radicalization

The AfD began as a protest against EU bailouts and austerity, but the 2015 refugee crisis marked its ideological pivot. Co-opting anti-Islam rhetoric and nationalist slogans like “Remigration”—a euphemism for mass deportations—the party now advocates for:

  • Strict immigration controls, including processing asylum claims outside Germany and revoking citizenship for dual nationals convicted of crimes.
  • Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and reliance on coal, gas, and nuclear energy.
  • Dismantling the EU in favor of a “Europe of Fatherlands” and rejecting NATO’s collective defense framework.

The party’s 2025 manifesto, adopted at its January 2025 congress, codifies these positions, demanding a return to “traditional values,” including a three-tiered education system and abolishing gender quotas.

2. Ties to Extremism

The AfD’s radical wing, led by Thuringia’s Björn Höcke, openly embraces völkisch (ethnic-nationalist) ideology. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD as a “suspected extremist” organization, citing links to neo-Nazi groups and Holocaust revisionism. In Saxony, AfD members were recently arrested for plotting a neo-Nazi coup, underscoring the party’s entanglement with violent extremism.


II. Voter Base: Who Supports the AfD?

1. Demographic Shifts

Contrary to stereotypes, the AfD’s support extends beyond disaffected East Germans:

  • Working-Class Voters: Blue-collar workers and the unemployed, disillusioned by stagnant wages and globalization, form the core.
  • Youth: 38% of voters under 30 in Thuringia and Saxony backed the AfD in 2024, outpacing left-wing parties.
  • Immigrant Communities: Surprisingly, 12% of German voters with non-German roots now support the AfD, drawn by its anti-immigration stance and economic promises.

Case Study: Ismet Var, a Turkish-German delivery driver, praises the AfD for “finally deporting criminals,” despite experiencing racism himself in the 1970s.

2. Regional Divides

The AfD dominates eastern Germany, where it won 30–33% in 2024 state elections. Economic stagnation, post-reunification neglect, and nostalgia for “law and order” fuel this support. In contrast, western Germany remains more resistant, though the AfD has gained traction in rural areas.


III. The 2025 Election: Strategies and Stumbling Blocks

1. Campaign Tactics

  • Elon Musk’s Endorsement: The billionaire’s video address at an AfD rally in Halle galvanized supporters, framing the party as Germany’s “last hope” against “green ideological madness”.
  • Social Media Warfare: Pro-AfD TikTok videos, often created by non-white influencers, target immigrant communities with messages like “We mean the illegal ones, not you”.
  • Exploiting Crime Fears: After a knife attack by an Afghan asylum seeker in Aschaffenburg, the AfD blamed Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s “open-door policies,” despite deportations hitting a 23-year high in 2023.

2. Mainstream Isolation

Germany’s “firewall” (Brandmauer)—a pledge by CDU, SPD, and Greens to exclude the AfD from coalitions—remains intact nationally. However, municipal collaborations between CDU and AfD in eastern states reveal cracks in this barrier. CDU leader Friedrich Merz, while ruling out federal alliances, has adopted AfD-like rhetoric on migration to recapture voters.


IV. Civil Society Backlash: Protests, Media, and Legal Challenges

1. Mass Demonstrations

Over 100,000 Germans rallied in Berlin, Cologne, and Halle in January 2025, forming a “sea of light for democracy” at the Brandenburg Gate. Protesters condemned the AfD’s ties to neo-Nazis and its “remigration” policies.

2. Media Blackout and Counter-Narratives

German media outlets enforce a de facto boycott of AfD officials, refusing to air interviews that might “normalize fascism”. Meanwhile, initiatives like the “Techno Parade für Toleranz” in Dresden promote multiculturalism, though critics argue they ignore systemic integration failures.

3. Legal Threats

The AfD faces potential ban proceedings under Germany’s constitutional “militant democracy” clause. A recent petition by CDU MPs to outlaw the party gained symbolic support but little traction.


V. The International Dimension: AfD’s Global Alliances

1. Pro-Russia Stance

The AfD advocates lifting sanctions on Russia and restoring energy ties, aligning with Kremlin narratives on the Ukraine war. Party materials in Thuringia feature German and Russian flags side by side.

2. Far-Right Synergy in Europe

Though isolated in the EU Parliament after expulsion from the Identity and Democracy group, the AfD mirrors policies of Italy’s Brothers of Italy and France’s National Rally, particularly on immigration and EU skepticism.


VI. Conclusion: Democracy at a Crossroads

The AfD’s rise reflects deep fractures in German society: economic anxiety, cultural polarization, and distrust in institutions. While the February 2025 elections are unlikely to deliver the AfD power at the federal level, its growing influence ensures it will shape policy debates for years. The CDU’s rightward shift on migration and the SPD’s collapsing coalition signal a political landscape increasingly defined by reactionary populism.

Yet resistance persists. From grassroots protests to constitutional safeguards, Germany’s democratic institutions are testing their resilience against the far right. As historian Patrick Moreau notes, the AfD’s fate hinges on whether it can transition from a protest movement to a credible governing force—a transition fraught with internal radicalization and external hostility.


Scroll to Top