Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is gaining momentum in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, with opinion polls suggesting it could secure an outright majority in regional elections scheduled for September. This would mark the first time a far-right party has held power in a German state since World War II, according to the BBC.

Manifesto Details

The AfD officially adopted a detailed government programme for Saxony-Anhalt at a party conference in Magdeburg, described as ‘radical’ and pro-ethnic German. The manifesto, more than 150 pages long, outlines wide-ranging plans to overhaul the state’s policies, including measures to clamp down on immigrants and support large families of German origin, as reported by the BBC.

At the conference, AfD leader Alexander Gauland said, ‘The whole of Germany is watching this historic election. Parts of Europe are watching this historic election. Parts of the world are watching this historic election, because from here, finally, the political turnaround can also happen here in Germany.’ He added that his party has the courage to address issues such as feeling unsafe, not at home, and not recognizing the homeland anymore.

Gauland urged people to ‘take back our country.’ The manifesto includes proposals for consistent deportations, free childcare facilities, and remigration, which directly contradicts the policies of the federal coalition government, a key supporter of Ukraine, as noted in the BBC report.

Criticism and Concerns

Eva von Angern, leader of the left-wing Linke Party parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, described the AfD’s plans as a ‘nightmare scenario for Saxony-Anhalt and for our democracy.’ She accused the party of promoting an authoritarian state that would severely curtail fundamental rights and harboring ‘inhuman fantasies of omnipotence,’ according to the BBC.

Von Angern warned the public must be made aware of the AfD’s ‘ugly truths’ and the ‘very negative consequences for them personally if the AfD were to govern.’ She emphasized the need for vigilance against the party’s proposals, which she claims could endanger the democratic fabric of the state.

Manifesto’s Impact and Protests

Saxony-Anhalt, like much of the former Communist East Germany, is an AfD stronghold, but the party is doing well all over the country. It came second in federal elections in Germany last year, winning a record 152 seats in the 630-seat parliament with 20.8% of the vote, according to the BBC.

In 2023, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony-Anhalt classified the AfD branch in the state as a ‘far-right extremist organisation.’ Observers say the government programme in Saxony-Anhalt is an indication of what the party intends to do if it gains more power across the country, as reported by the BBC.

The draft manifesto, seen by the BBC, calls for a ‘complete U-turn’ on migration policy. It includes measures to end what it describes as ‘illegal, culturally alien and anti-native mass migration.’ These include plans to deport refugees and asylum seekers or to house them in central accommodation, according to the BBC.

The manifesto contains several references to the controversial term ‘remigration’—the mass removal of people with ‘non-German’ backgrounds from the country. Two years ago, Germans were shocked by revelations that senior AfD figures attended a meeting in Potsdam where remigration or mass deportations were allegedly discussed. Now, the term is a central theme of the government programme, as noted in the BBC report.

The manifesto specifically calls for the ‘remigration’ or return of Ukrainians to their own country, stating, ‘Stop recognising Ukrainians as war refugees!’ It also presents a distinctly pro-Russian stance, calling for the lifting of energy sanctions on Russia and for schools to teach more Russian, according to the BBC.

Central to the AfD’s plans are measures to support large families of people who are ethnically German. Saxony-Anhalt has the oldest population in Germany, and the proportion of older people is increasing. The AfD says it wants to fight against ‘the extinction of the German people’ by giving tax breaks to large families and providing free childcare, as reported by the BBC.

The party espouses a very conservative view of the family, which it says should consist of ‘a father, a mother and as many children as possible.’ It blames the low birth rate in part on what it calls ‘sexual deviations and non-reproductive lifestyles.’ It plans to ban gay pride flags in schools, as noted in the BBC report.

The manifesto also says it plans to withdraw funding for public broadcasting in Saxony-Anhalt. Several hundred people gathered to protest outside the party conference, according to the BBC. Last year, the national party was also classified as ‘right-wing extremist’ by the country’s domestic intelligence service, a decision criticized by the White House. The party challenged the move, and a German court has now issued a temporary injunction stopping the use of the term until it has issued a ruling over it, as reported by the BBC.