Merz vows to fight extremism after AfD and Left Party election gains in Germany

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has responded to a set of local election gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany and the far-left Left Party, saying political extremism is making its way into Germany's parliaments. He made the remarks at an event in Berlin on Wednesday, a day after a member of the Alternative for Germany was elected president of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. He also pointed to the Left Party's victory in Berlin's state election on Sunday as part of the same political warning.

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Merz said the issue was a task for society as a whole and said he intended to play his part in confronting it. He added that anyone who votes for the Alternative for Germany is playing the extremists' game and undermining credibility. He also said such support is incompatible with the values of his party, the Christian Democratic Union.

The comments came after the Alternative for Germany won the vote in the September 6 election in Saxony-Anhalt but fell three seats short of the absolute majority sought by candidate Ulrich Siegmund. The developments underline the continuing strength of parties at both ends of Germany's political spectrum, particularly in the east and in major urban centres. The Alternative for Germany, founded in 2013 as a eurosceptic movement, has built support through a hardline stance on immigration and has become a dominant force in much of eastern Germany.

Traditional parties have generally refused to enter coalitions with it, reflecting the political isolation that still surrounds the party despite its electoral gains. In Berlin, the Left Party's result was also a setback for the chancellor's governing Christian Democrats. The Berlin result was driven in part by housing concerns, with lead candidate Elif Eralp campaigning on the rising cost of housing in the capital.

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She also pledged to nationalise private housing associations, which account for a large share of the city's housing stock. The party's performance roughly doubled its previous score and raised the possibility that Eralp could become Berlin's first mayor from the Left Party. The party itself grew out of the former East German communist party after reunification 36 years ago, giving the result added historical weight in German politics.

Merz's intervention comes at a time when his approval rating is said to be sinking, adding pressure to his response to the election results. The twin gains for the Alternative for Germany and the Left Party highlight the challenge facing mainstream parties as voters shift toward more polarised options. They also show how local elections can quickly become a test of national leadership and political credibility.

For Merz and the Christian Democrats, the results sharpen the question of how to respond to extremism without further strengthening it. What remains unclear is how these results will affect coalition-building and day-to-day politics in Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin. It is also not yet clear whether the Alternative for Germany's gains will translate into broader institutional influence beyond the latest parliamentary posts.

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