Thousands of people protested across Germany after the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) secured a breakthrough in a state election, with organisers warning the party was close to winning power in additional regions this month. At Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, demonstrators gathered for a peaceful pro-democracy rally denouncing the AfD. The party, which has pushed for mass deportations of asylum seekers and for cuts to state support for renewable energy and public broadcasting, has sought to portray itself as an alternative to established politics. Protests In Berlin And BeyondPolice estimated the Berlin turnout at about 5,000, while organisers said more than 14,000 people took part. Protesters held signs with messages such as “Fascism is no alternative” and “Stop the Nazi AfD: end racism and cuts to social services”, as well as “History has its eyes on us”. Several speakers also urged voters not to fall into resignation or cynicism after the result on Sunday. Similar gatherings were reported in cities including Potsdam, Münster, Göttingen, Dresden, Aachen, Bamberg, Darmstadt and Halberstadt, according to local media. In Potsdam, near Berlin, hundreds of protesters also demonstrated. In Halle, the second-largest city in the region, left-leaning groups and civil society organisations have staged a protest camp since election day. AfD Breakthrough In Saxony-AnhaltThe AfD achieved its best-ever state result in Saxony-Anhalt, the former communist eastern state, on Sunday. The party won just under 44% of the vote, its strongest performance since the Nazi period. Jens-Christian Wagner, director of the memorial at the former Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald, said from the stage that the outcome was a “disgrace” that left people “furious and stunned”. He warned that, despite narrowly missing an absolute majority, the AfD was on the brink of taking power in Saxony-Anhalt, the first time the far right would do so since the second world war. Max Schneller, 17, from the far-left Linke, told the rally that activists in the state would resist any attempts to target minorities. “We will not start categorising our neighbours according to their origin, religion or skin colour,” he said, adding that people should not “hate”. The AfD is currently short of the votes it would need to form a government under its candidate, Ulrich Siegmund. Siegmund, described by media as a politically media-savvy campaigner, is seen as hoping to win support from parts of the remaining parties willing to act as a kingmaker. Germany’s domestic intelligence service has listed the AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt chapter as right-wing extremist since 2023, saying it poses a threat to democratic norms. Votes Ahead In Berlin And Mecklenburg-VorpommernCampaign attention now turns to elections on 20 September in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on the Baltic coast. AfD polling in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been led at around 35%, while the Social Democratic party (SPD) of the state premier, Manuela Schwesig, has rebounded over the summer and is now scoring above 30%. In Berlin, one of Germany’s 16 federal states, the race is more fragmented. The city is governed by a coalition of conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and the SPD. The CDU, led federally by chancellor Friedrich Merz, holds a narrow lead at about 20%, with the Linke close behind. The AfD, followed by the SPD and the ecologist Greens, is polling in the mid-teens. Merz said he would remain in office and pressed for a package of painful reforms. He argued that defeating the AfD depends on reviving Europe’s largest economy and repairing a social welfare system that critics say is failing to function effectively. The SPD has indicated it is prepared to step back on some of the measures most likely to damage support, according to reporting. Analysts say the disagreement could further destabilise the already fragile coalition as voters prepare to choose new governments. Join the discussion? 9 September 2026
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