https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed When used correctly, terms like 'far-right' and 'extremist' carry very specific meanings about a party's political aims. Here's a look at the terms and why they are applied to the AfD. https://www.thelocal.de/20260907/five-reasons-the-afd-is-considered-extremist Mon, 07 Sep 2026 17:14:44 +0200 five-reasons-the-afd-is-considered-extremist The far-right Alternative for Germany has won a landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt, but forming a government may prove to be more difficult. Here's what to expect over the coming weeks as parties navigate a political deadlock. https://www.thelocal.de/20260907/what-happens-next-following-the-afds-win-in-saxony-anhalt Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:54:59 +0200 what-happens-next-following-the-afds-win-in-saxony-anhalt Germany's far-right AfD has promised an "economic boom" if it wins Sunday's regional elections and ends up ruling the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, but economists warn their policies would spell disaster. https://www.thelocal.de/20260901/alternative-for-germany-promises-boom-but-economists-fear-the-worst Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:40:04 +0200 alternative-for-germany-promises-boom-but-economists-fear-the-worst Elections in two of Germany's eastern states have become a litmus test for how the country is responding to far-right politics. So who has a say in these votes, who doesn't and why? https://www.thelocal.de/20260827/who-can-vote-in-germanys-high-stakes-state-elections-this-september Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:41:03 +0200 who-can-vote-in-germanys-high-stakes-state-elections-this-september Kiosks, corner shops and other immigrant owned businesses were shut in Magdeburg on Wednesday in protest of the policies of the Alternative for Germany, which is largely expected to win an upcoming state election in Saxony-Anhalt. https://www.thelocal.de/20260826/migrant-owned-shops-close-in-saxony-anhalt-as-warning-against-far-right Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:47:03 +0200 migrant-owned-shops-close-in-saxony-anhalt-as-warning-against-far-right Ahead of a pivotal state election Saxony-Anhalt, far-right AfD leaders are stirring up doubts about mail-in voting. Election officials say there is no evidence of significant manipulation, citing extensive safeguards. https://www.thelocal.de/20260825/fact-check-how-does-postal-voting-in-germany-really-work Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:54:24 +0200 fact-check-how-does-postal-voting-in-germany-really-work If you haven't got a clue about which parties to vote for in Germany's federal elections, the 'Wahl-O-Mat' is a good place to start. https://www.thelocal.de/20250206/wahl-o-mat-the-online-tool-that-can-help-you-pick-a-party-in-the-german-elections Thu, 06 Feb 2025 12:10:45 +0100 wahl-o-mat-the-online-tool-that-can-help-you-pick-a-party-in-the-german-elections Nearly 10 million people in Germany were eligible to vote on Sunday as mayoral run-off elections took place in North Rhine-Westphalia. As the CDU made gains and the AfD failed to win, we look at the results in detail and what they mean. https://www.thelocal.de/20250929/winners-and-losers-what-nrws-run-off-elections-reveal-about-germany Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:22:29 +0200 winners-and-losers-what-nrws-run-off-elections-reveal-about-germany Germany's leading conservative party has hung on to a strong lead in cities across the western state, but overall support for mainstream parties has dipped while support for the far-right has grown. https://www.thelocal.de/20250915/cdu-wins-elections-in-north-rhine-westphalia-while-far-right-gains-stronger-foothold Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:51:10 +0200 cdu-wins-elections-in-north-rhine-westphalia-while-far-right-gains-stronger-foothold Every major political party, with one exception, agreed to follow a code of conduct when campaigning for Sunday's election in North Rhine-Westphalia. So what are 'fairness agreements' in German politics, and why don't they apply to the far-right? https://www.thelocal.de/20250915/what-are-fairness-agreements-in-german-political-campaigns Mon, 15 Sep 2025 17:11:00 +0200 what-are-fairness-agreements-in-german-political-campaigns German lawmakers will gather in early May to elect Friedrich Merz as chancellor after his conservative bloc sealed a coalition agreement with the main centre-left party, the Bundestag said Monday. https://www.thelocal.de/20250414/cdu-leader-friedrich-merz-set-to-become-next-german-chancellor-on-may-6 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:27:15 +0200 cdu-leader-friedrich-merz-set-to-become-next-german-chancellor-on-may-6 With the centre-right conservatives set to take the helm of the next German government, and the far-right having made significant gains, readers of The Local shared their thoughts on the election results. https://www.thelocal.de/20250225/a-fifth-of-voters-hate-me-how-do-foreigners-in-germany-feel-about-far-right-surge Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:09:55 +0100 a-fifth-of-voters-hate-me-how-do-foreigners-in-germany-feel-about-far-right-surge After a close-run election, a new German parliament is coming together. Our columnist Brian Melican shares who the vote winners and losers are, and what the results mean for the next government. https://www.thelocal.de/20250224/opinion-merz-is-on-top-but-the-left-are-surprise-winners-in-germanys-dramatic-election Mon, 24 Feb 2025 15:51:34 +0100 opinion-merz-is-on-top-but-the-left-are-surprise-winners-in-germanys-dramatic-election Germany's conservatives led by election winner Friedrich Merz held first talks Friday with the Social Democrats on forming a coalition government as the country faces multiple challenges at home and abroad. https://www.thelocal.de/20250228/german-election-winner-merz-starts-government-talks Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:41:27 +0100 german-election-winner-merz-starts-government-talks Germany's conservatives, who won elections last weekend, are set to start exploratory talks with the Social Democrats on Friday towards forming a coalition government, party sources said. https://www.thelocal.de/20250228/conservatives-and-spd-take-first-steps-towards-forming-new-german-government Fri, 28 Feb 2025 09:20:53 +0100 conservatives-and-spd-take-first-steps-towards-forming-new-german-government Many of the 213,000 people with German citizenship living abroad were unable to have a say in the snap election because postal voting documents were not delivered or arrived too late, according to an investigation. https://www.thelocal.de/20250227/many-germans-abroad-excluded-from-voting-due-to-poor-preparation-and-slow-post Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:47:05 +0100 many-germans-abroad-excluded-from-voting-due-to-poor-preparation-and-slow-post German election winners, the conservatives, have started initial coalition talks with the SPD. But experts warn that forming a functioning government is just one of many challenges politicians need to overcome to tackle far-right gains. https://www.thelocal.de/20250225/can-germanys-next-leader-tackle-economic-woes-and-far-right-gains Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:01:19 +0100 can-germanys-next-leader-tackle-economic-woes-and-far-right-gains The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) confirmed Tuesday that its new cohort of MPs will include Maximilian Krah, a man thrown out of its caucus in the European Parliament after various scandals. https://www.thelocal.de/20250225/scandal-hit-afd-politician-makes-comeback-in-german-bundestag Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:35:55 +0100 scandal-hit-afd-politician-makes-comeback-in-german-bundestag Germany's main conservative Christian Democrat parties won parliamentary elections Sunday in a vote that saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieve a record score. We look at some key numbers that help explain the events. https://www.thelocal.de/20250224/in-numbers-what-happened-in-the-german-election Mon, 24 Feb 2025 19:00:26 +0100 in-numbers-what-happened-in-the-german-election After a humbling election defeat for Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democrats (SPD), the party looked to collect itself on Monday in preparation for a potential new role as the junior partner in a conservative-led government. https://www.thelocal.de/20250224/stunned-social-democrats-turn-to-supporting-role-in-new-german-government Mon, 24 Feb 2025 18:51:41 +0100 stunned-social-democrats-turn-to-supporting-role-in-new-german-government