AfD

AfD struggles to form government in Germany despite landmark election victory

Founded in 2013 as a eurosceptic movement, the AfD won over voters with an increasingly hardline opposition to immigration after around a million people fled to Germany in 2015.

|ByREUTERS
Co-leader of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD) and AfD's parliamentary group Alice Weidel speaks during a press conference on the occassion of a parliamentary group meeting ahead of the Bundestag sitting week in Berlin, Germany October 6, 2026.
Demonstrators protest an AfD campaign event in Wietze, Lower Saxony, ahead of the local elections, Sept. 10, 2026.

Germany’s far-right AfD makes gains in local elections, fended off by mainstream parties

The nationalist, anti-immigrant AfD siphoned off votes from Germany’s mainstream parties in the northwestern state, home to 8 million people. The election was seen as a test of the AfD’s recent surge

|BySHIRA LI BARTOV/JTA
(L to R) Green Party spokespersons Amanda Lind, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson, Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson, Swedish Prime Minister and Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson and Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar take part in a televised debate on September 10, 2026.

Swedes vote in election that could usher far right into government

Europe's rising far-right parties would welcome the Sweden Democrats' electoral success, boosted by the AfD's significant win in a German state election this month.

|ByREUTERS
People gather in front of the Brandenburg Gate to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) the day after the party won in Saxony-Anhalt state elections, Berlin, Germany, Sept. 7, 2026.

Germany’s far-right AfD, riding state win, targets more gains in elections from east to west

The three upcoming elections are being closely watched for signs of the AfD’s wider-scale momentum, said Daniel Schuster, who heads the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s European office. 

|BySHIRA LI BARTOV/JTA

German spy agency pauses 'extremist' classification for AfD party, local court says

The BfV won't refer to the AfD as a "right-wing extremist movement" until the court ruleson an AfD motion to issue a temporary injunction.

MAY 8, 2025ByREUTERS
Far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel looks on, as she and AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla (not pictured) give a statement, in Berlin, Germany, March 12, 2025.

German parties form gov't that excludes AfD, far-right party that worries many Jews

AfD will not be part of Germany's government, despite coming in second during national elections earlier this year.

APRIL 9, 2025ByPHILISSA CRAMER/JTA
ROBERT SESSELMANN of the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a vote last Sunday to become a district leader, a breakthrough for the party which has hit record highs in national polls.

European Jewish leader to 'Post': Jews, Israel can never cooperate with AfD, FPO - exclusive

"We have a problem with parties that cross a certain red line, on the Left and Right, when it comes to antisemitism," EJC president, Dr. Ariel Muzicant said.

MARCH 2, 2025ByELDAD BECK
Co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) Alice Weidel gives a media statement in Berlin, Germany, February 25, 2025.

AfD electoral surge sparked by fear of social decline, German journalist explains

The Jerusalem Post Podcast with Tamar Uriel-Beeri and Sarah Ben-Nun

FEBRUARY 28, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Several top AfD members are seen on the day of the AfD parliamentary fraction meeting following the German general elections in Berlin, Germany, February 25, 2025.

Germany’s election signals a rejection of passive decline - opinion

AfD is not merely a nationalist movement. Their appeal lies not in ideological extremism but in its ability to capitalize on widespread discontent, particularly regarding immigration.

FEBRUARY 25, 2025ByDOV MAIMON
CO-LEADERS OF the far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla attend a news conference yesterday in Berlin as results of the German general election became known. The pro-Russia, anti-immigration AfD has attracted the support of about one in five German voters

German conservatives come first in election, trailed by far right, exit polls show

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Merz and the CDU/CSU bloc on their projected election victory on his personal X/Twitter on Sunday evening.

FEBRUARY 23, 2025ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz reacts after the exit poll results are announced for the 2025 general election, in Berlin, Germany, February 23, 2025.

German Jews express alarm after J.D. Vance’s comments boost far-right AfD ahead of election

German Jews express alarm as the far Right AfD rises in polls, while US VP J.D. Vance's remarks challenge the political firewall against the party.

FEBRUARY 21, 2025ByTOBY AXELROD/JTA
Election campaign posters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) show local candidate Arne Raue and chancellor candidate Alice Weidel near Brandenburg, Germany.

Likud joins EU right-wing alliance Patriots.eu as observer, while AfD attempts to build ties

Likud will be the first non-European party to join in any capacity, with social media critics claiming this as evidence that 'Zionism is fascism.'

FEBRUARY 9, 2025ByJAMES GENN
Prime Minister Viktor Orban shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during joint statements at the Prime Minister’s Office.

From spymaster to extremist: Hans-Georg Maassen’s radical transformation

EUROPEAN AFFAIRS: Maassen has been repeatedly accused of using antisemitic codes, ranting about 'globalists,' a 'new world order,' or an impending 'great reset', all far Right antisemitic buzzwords.

FEBRUARY 7, 2025ByNICHOLAS POTTER
HANS-GEORG MAASSEN, founder and president of Germany’s Values Union. The party will be on the ballot in some federal states for the first time as Germany goes to the polls on February 23. Here, Maassen speaks during a panel discussion at The National Conservatism Conference in April in Brussels

Friedrich Merz: The German leader trying to bury Angela Merkel’s legacy - analysis

Friedrich Merz broke a political taboo by aligning with the AfD on immigration, winning a symbolic vote but facing backlash and a major legislative defeat.

FEBRUARY 2, 2025ByELDAD BECK
German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz speaks during a session of the lower house of parliament Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, October 10, 2024.