Overview
- AfD lawmakers, marking the government’s first anniversary on Wednesday, attacked Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Bundestag and pressed for new elections or a minority government.
- Recent surveys now place the AfD first nationally, and approval for the Merz-led coalition has fallen to a new low after a year in office.
- Illegal border crossings and asylum applications have declined under Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s tighter controls, yet the drop has not slowed AfD support.
- Political scientists say lifting migration to the top of the agenda and echoing right‑populist themes can legitimize the AfD, while public infighting in the CDU/CSU–SPD coalition harms its image of competence.
- Analysts caution that the AfD could become the strongest party in Sachsen‑Anhalt this year, raising the prospect of the party leading a state government for the first time.