Germany’s right-wing anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is set for huge gains in North Rhine-Westphalia local elections, preliminary results showed on Monday. According to official data, the party almost tripled its support in the key province, finishing third behind governing coalition parties Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The preliminary results put CDU first with 33.3 per cent of the vote, followed by SPD with 21.5 per cent. AfD came in third with 14.5 per cent, marking a 9.4 percentage-point increase since the last election in NRW in 2020. In line with nationwide trends, AfD is the fastest-growing party in the province.
According to AfD co-chair Alice Weidel, more than 5,000 candidates ran in the colours of the party in the elections to ‘put an end to the political mismanagement of the establishment parties’. In a separate post on X, Weidel praised the results as a ‘huge success’ for the party.
NRW is a key province in German politics, with a population of around 18 million, giving it immense political weight. It generates roughly 20 per cent of Germany’s GDP, making it the largest single economic engine among the ‘Länder’. AfD’s gains are particularly significant, as the party is traditionally weaker in the West and draws its base from Eastern Germany. Strengthening in NRW could signal a broader shift in sentiment across Western provinces.
The local elections in NRW also drew international attention, as seven AfD candidates died just weeks before the vote—fueling suspicion among netizens, especially in right-wing circles. German authorities, however, stated there were no indications of third-party involvement in any of the cases.
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