René Springer Leads AfD Brandenburg in Upcoming Federal Election

The AfD's Brandenburg wing selects René Springer as their top candidate, while Alexander Gauland signals a potential run in Saxony.

René Springer, the 45-year-old Brandenburg AfD leader, was elected as the party's top candidate for the February 2025 federal election with 81.1% of the vote.
Springer replaces Alexander Gauland, the party's 83-year-old co-founder, who is considering running in his hometown of Chemnitz, Saxony.
Springer's campaign rhetoric emphasized stricter immigration policies and a vision of the AfD eventually governing Germany, invoking historical struggles as a call to action.
The Brandenburg AfD remains classified as a right-wing extremist group under surveillance by the state’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Hannes Gnauck, head of the AfD's youth wing, known for its extremist classification, secured the second spot on the party's candidate list.