The conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is making notable strides nationwide.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the AfD garnered nearly 15 percent of the vote, securing third place, as per preliminary results from Politico.
This represents a substantial increase from the 5.1 percent it achieved in the last municipal elections five years ago.
“A huge success: According to initial projections, the AfD’s result in NRW has tripled,” stated AfD leader Alice Weidel on the X platform.
”Heartfelt thanks to all campaigners and to our voters!”
In Gelsenkirchen, a former industrial hub, the AfD’s candidate is anticipated to progress to a mayoral runoff against a center-left opponent.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) maintained a strong lead with around 33 percent of the vote, while its coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), historically dominant in the region’s industrial cities, followed with approximately 22 percent. Both parties saw a slight decrease in their tallies compared to the previous municipal election.
In the February federal election, the AfD achieved 20.6 percent of the vote, finishing second overall and marking the strongest performance ever for a far-right party in postwar Germany, driven by sweeping victories in nearly all former East German states.
Support for the AfD has continued to climb, even as Germany’s left-wing intelligence agencies categorize it as an extremist organization. The ruling parties have even threatened to ban the party, citing it as a threat to German democracy.
Last month, a national poll indicated that the AfD’s overall support had surged to around 26 percent, positioning it as the most popular party in Germany and potentially enabling it to form the next government.
BREAKING: For the first time ever:
The FPO are polling 1st in Austria
The RN Party is polling 1st in France
The AfD are polling 1st in Germany
Reform UK are polling 1st in Britain
Europeans are voting for the most right-wing party available.
