Far right AfD poised for power in Germany and split on whether to cozy up to Trump

Far right AfD poised for power in Germany and split on whether to cozy up to Trump.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is speeding into state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday with a sizeable lead in the polls. If the party gets an outright majority, it will put the far right in charge of a state for the first time since World War II.

The party is projected to get 42% of the vote in the eastern German state, according to pollster Infratest dimap – a massive jump compared to its support just a couple years ago, and potentially enough to propel it to power in the country’s electoral system.

But there are roadblocks to the AfD expanding its success in mainstream German politics.

The party has been classified as “extremist” by German intelligence for its rhetoric in relation to Muslim citizens of Germany and on immigration, and it’s been denounced by mainstream conservatives and progressives alike.

All other parties in the country operate a so-called “firewall” – an unwritten rule to not form a coalition with the AfD or work together in parliament. If the AfD doesn’t get an absolute majority in Sunday’s elections, all other parties could form a ragtag coalition to shut it out of power in the state.

It’s partly that isolation at home that has compelled the AfD to seek out ties with the United States’ MAGA movement.

It’s also partly the shared right-wing politics and the brazen rhetoric and branding – hats with the slogan “Make Germany Great Again” are not uncommon at AfD events now. And the ties go well beyond merch.