Political psychology: Why extremist parties are thriving and what democratic politicians can do against it

The far-right AfD, seen here celebrating their win in Saxony-Anhalt, has won over many voters. For many others, however, their rise is cause for concern. Image: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance

On September 6, Germany's eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt held elections for its state parliament. The big winner: The right-wing AfD (Alternative for Germany) party, which garnered 43.8% of the votes; more than ever before.

It's still unclear who will govern the state because the AfD does not have an absolute majority.

But it was a landslide win for the AfD , whose Saxony-Anhalt branch is classified as right-wing extremist by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, and that worries many Germans.

The day after the election, Chancellor Friedrich Merz from the conservative CDU said he was "deeply shocked" by the election results. "Not only did something change in Saxony-Anhalt yesterday but throughout all of Germany."

Merz's CDU lost more than half its share of the ballot compared to the last state election in Saxony-Anhalt. The CDU dropped from 37.1% in 2021 to 17.2% in 2026.

Two weeks later, at state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on September 20, the CDU didn't even make the 5% threshold to enter parliament.

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