AfD result prompts warning over normalisation of far-right politics

Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland reportedly won almost 44% of the vote in a recent Saxony-Anhalt election, more than doubling its previous result and finishing ahead of the Christian Democrats, according to a Guardian Opinion article.

Writing in The Guardian, Charlotte Feakins describes the AfD as far-right, pro-Russian and anti-immigration, and places its result within a broader global trend. The article does not provide official results or specify the election date beyond referring to the vote as having taken place the previous Sunday.

Feakins compares the AfD’s reported success with One Nation’s recent gains in the Farrer and Secret Harbour byelections. She acknowledges that the parties have different histories, politics and contexts, but argues that both draw on exclusion, national restoration, grievance and distrust.

The article’s central argument is that far-right politics may become harder to identify as it moves into mainstream political discourse. Feakins says its influence can be expressed through intolerance and political messaging rather than overt symbols such as extremist clothing, salutes or banners.

Feakins attributes receptiveness to these politics partly to anxiety surrounding climate disruption, economic insecurity, war, displacement, artificial intelligence and concentrated wealth. These explanations, along with the comparison between the AfD and One Nation, are the author’s analysis and are not independently established by the source material.

The reported Saxony-Anhalt result, its comparison with the previous vote and the Australian electoral comparison require independent verification. The Guardian Opinion article warns that Australia should not be complacent about the appeal of far-right ideas.