PREVIEW

Far-Right AfD Makes Major Gains in Western Germany Municipal Elections. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) nearly tripled its vote share in North Rhine-Westphalia’s municipal elections, winning nearly 15 percent and coming in third place. The results highlight the AfD’s growing appeal outside its traditional strongholds in former East Germany, especially among working-class voters in declining industrial cities. In Gelsenkirchen, a former industrial hub, the AfD candidate is set to face a center-left politician in a mayoral runoff. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led the vote with 33 percent, while coalition partner SPD came second with around 22 percent, slightly down from five years ago. The elections, though local, are seen as a national mood indicator, coming four months after Merz took office amid slumping CDU and SPD poll numbers. North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wüst cautioned that the AfD’s strong performance signals unresolved issues on poverty, migration, and housing. The AfD, previously dominant in the former East Germany, continues to rise despite being labeled extremist by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, sparking debates over a potential ban. AfD leaders celebrated the results, with Alice Weidel calling it a “huge success” and Enxhi Seli-Zacharias noting the party has “cemented its voter base.”
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