AfD Becomes Germany’s Second-Largest Party

If elections were held today, Germany’s nationalistic, far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) would come in second, the Associated Press reported on March 18.

The AfD is the top party in the eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia, with about 35 percent support in each. Its appeal to male voters age 24 and younger is particularly high, the report says.

Migration crisis: The AfD’s popularity has surged largely because of widespread dissatisfaction with rising immigration. The European Union received 1.1 million asylum requests in 2023, of which Germany received the majority—more than 300,000. Germany has also taken in over 1 million Ukrainian refugees displaced by Russia’s invasion.

Nazism? On the other hand, thousands of Germans have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest reports of a “master plan” by the AfD to deport millions of immigrants out of the country. Many say the rise of a party with such ideas brings back memories of the country’s Nazi past.

I never thought such inhuman ideas would be gaining popularity in Germany again. I thought we had learned the lessons from our past.
—Sabine Thonke, anti-AfD protester

Europe’s political shift: The rise of the AfD is only part of a larger trend in which right-wing, nationalistic parties are surging in the polls throughout Europe, just three months ahead of elections for European Parliament. Bible prophecy shows Europe’s political system is about to undergo a massive change.

Learn more: Read “Will the Far Right Take Over Europe in 2024?”