Merz Pledges to Confront Political Extremism as AfD and Left Party Surge in German Elections

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to take a personal stand against political extremism following a pair of bruising electoral setbacks that saw both far-right and far-left parties make significant gains across the country. Speaking at an event in Berlin on Wednesday, Merz framed the rise of anti-establishment forces as a challenge that extends well beyond party politics, describing it as a responsibility shared by German society at large.

The chancellor’s remarks came just one day after a member of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, was elected to serve as president of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. That development followed the far-left Left Party’s victory in Berlin’s state election, which was held on September 20 and delivered another stinging blow to Merz’s ruling Christian Democratic Union, or CDU.

At the heart of Merz’s address was a pointed warning about the consequences of supporting the AfD. He argued that voters who cast their ballots for the party are effectively enabling extremist forces and damaging the credibility of Germany’s democratic institutions. He further stated that any association with the AfD is fundamentally incompatible with the values upheld by his own party, the CDU.

The AfD’s electoral success in Saxony-Anhalt was substantial, with the party winning the statewide vote on September 6. However, its candidate for parliamentary president, Ulrich Siegmund, ultimately fell three seats short of the absolute majority required to secure the position outright. The outcome highlighted both the party’s growing influence in eastern Germany and the persistent reluctance of mainstream parties to cooperate with it.

Founded in 2013 as a eurosceptic movement, the AfD has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. The party gained widespread support by adopting an increasingly hardline stance against immigration, particularly in the wake of the 2015 migrant crisis, when roughly one million people sought refuge in Germany, many of them fleeing the conflict in Syria. Since then, the AfD has established itself as a dominant political force in much of eastern Germany, drawing support from voters who feel alienated from the country’s traditional parties. Despite its rise, most mainstream political parties have maintained a firm commitment to excluding the AfD from governing coalitions.

While the AfD has commanded considerable media attention, the Left Party’s recent success in Berlin underscores a broader shift in voter sentiment away from the political center. The Left Party roughly doubled its previous electoral score in the capital, positioning its lead candidate, Elif Eralp, as a potential first mayor of Berlin from the party, which traces its roots to the former East German communist party following the country’s reunification 36 years ago.

Eralp, a 45-year-old whose parents were left-wing Turkish exiles who fled a coup in 1980, built her campaign around the escalating cost of housing in Berlin. She has pledged to move forward with a plan to nationalize private housing associations that control a substantial portion of the city’s residential stock. According to Eralp, the increasingly dire rental situation represents the most pressing social problem facing the German capital. She has committed to implementing the nationalization effort in line with a 2021 referendum in which 58 percent of voters endorsed the proposal, arguing that these associations have fueled property speculation at the expense of ordinary residents.

The political turbulence comes as Merz faces historically low public approval. A survey conducted earlier this month by Germany’s public broadcaster ARD found that only one in 10 respondents expressed satisfaction or strong satisfaction with his job performance. That figure represents the lowest rating recorded for any chancellor since the survey was first conducted in 1997, signaling deep dissatisfaction with the current government’s direction.

The electoral losses and declining approval ratings suggest that Germany’s mainstream parties are struggling to retain the confidence of voters who are increasingly turning to alternatives on both the far right and the far left. This polarization reflects a broader European trend in which established political forces have been challenged by movements that capitalize on public frustration over issues such as immigration, economic inequality and housing affordability.

With another major electoral test on the horizon, the political stakes for Merz and the CDU continue to mount. Voters in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, are scheduled to elect a new parliament in April. The outcome of that contest could further reshape the country’s political landscape and determine whether the recent gains by extremist and anti-establishment parties represent a lasting realignment or a temporary protest vote.

For now, Merz appears to be positioning himself as a defender of democratic norms against the forces he accuses of undermining them. Whether that message resonates with an increasingly restless electorate remains to be seen, but the chancellor’s decision to directly confront the rise of political extremism signals that he views the threat as both urgent and deeply consequential for the future of German democracy.