AfD plans radical changes to administration, stirring…

AfD plans radical changes to administration, stirring concern among politicians and the Kremlin

16.05.2026 08:00 HotInfo

According to a fresh Infratest poll, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is reaching 41 percent of the vote in the September elections in Saxony-Anhalt, bringing it significantly closer to the possibility of forming the government in this federal state. The party could thus have its first minister-president at the federal state level. With such a result, the AfD would gain a 15-percentage-point lead over its rival, the CDU. Deutschlandfunk ↗

New information reveals the AfD's ambitious plans to reorganize the state apparatus. Should the party take over the government in Saxony-Anhalt, it plans to leave hundreds of positions in administrative bodies unfilled. According to statements by AfD leaders, realistically between 150 and 200 positions in the civil service apparatus are being considered. The SPD parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, Wiese, responded with a warning that the right-wing AfD wants to arbitrarily fill offices in favor of its own policies and connections. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, meanwhile, an internal AfD program draft shows plans for a radical transformation of migration, education, and cultural policy, including remigration and the creation of a specialized "police unit for returns." Tagesspiegel ↗

The international reach of these activities was also reflected in the reaction of Russian officials. Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Vladimir Putin, publicly praised the AfD's polling figures in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and, on the social network X, called the party "hope for the Germans." This open interference by a foreign power ahead of the September elections has raised considerable concern. Die Zeit ↗

Another significant development is the AfD's historic success in municipal elections. Candidate René Stadtkewitz clearly won the mayoral election in the town of Zehdenick in Brandenburg with 58.4 percent of the vote. This is the first time an AfD nominee has won an election for the position of chief municipal representative in this federal state. Die Zeit ↗

The AfD's shift in Germany's political landscape has triggered numerous reactions. Discussion about the possibility of regulating or banning the party is intensifying. Some commentators argue that if the democratic system is not to collapse, the approach to this party must fundamentally change. In Berlin, there is also discussion about how the AfD would position itself regarding support for a minority government led by the Union. Spiegel.de ↗

However, internal problems are weakening the AfD from within. Departing party member Rüdiger Klos issued an internal critical letter, claiming that leading party figures, including Markus Frohnmaier, are engaging in abuse of power. In another area affecting the party's politics, a court in Munich acquitted AfD member Bystron in a case related to suspicion of promoting content associated with Nazism. Deutschlandfunk ↗

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