How the AfD's rise could reshape German politics
September 08, 2026
VIDEOSGZERO World with Ian BremmerQuick TakePUPPET REGIMEIan ExplainsGZERO ReportsAsk IanGlobal Stage
Site Navigation
Search
Human content,
AI powered search.
Latest Stories
Sign up for GZERO Daily.
Get our latest updates and insights delivered to your inbox.
Quick Take
Ian Bremmer, political scientist and president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, shares insights on global political events.
Presented by
In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer breaks down the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's historic win in the Saxony-Anhalt state election and what it could mean for the country's political future.
The far-right party, considered extremist in many German states, came in first with 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, more than doubling its 2021 result. It is the first time since World War II that a far-right party has won a German state election outright. The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the ruling party, came in at just 17.2%.
Ian explains the forces driving the AfD's surge: economic frustration, anger over immigration, and opposition to Germany's support for Ukraine. He also lays out the party's core positions, including ending Ukraine aid, lifting sanctions on Russia, leaving the EU, and rejecting what it views as ideologically driven policies from Berlin.
Though the AfD cannot form a government alone, Ian argues the longstanding firewall keeping other parties from working with them is likely to break. A weakened federal government and no national election until 2029 could give the AfD the runway to grow even larger.
Keep reading...Show less
More from Quick Take
GZERO Series
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer
Puppet Regime
ask ian
Ian Explains
GZERO Reports
GZERO Europe
The Debrief
Global Stage
© 2026 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group company.
GZERO Daily: our free newsletter about global politics
Keep up with what’s going on around the world - and why it matters.