AfD strengthens its position through family policy, as…

AfD strengthens its position through family policy, as disputes over the "firewall" emerge

25.05.2026 12:00 HotInfo

According to a fresh Infratest poll, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is reaching 41 percent of the vote in September's election 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 state-level minister-president. With such a result, the AfD would hold a 15 percentage-point lead over its rival, the CDU. Die Zeit ↗

New information reveals that the AfD is using family policy as a key strategy for winning over voters in Saxony-Anhalt. The party is promising concrete measures such as a baby-welcome bonus and a family allowance designed to mobilize families. Behind these measures, however, lies an ambitious will to strengthen its own völkisch vision and reshape society according to its own ideas. Die Zeit ↗

Mario Voigt, a political leader from the region, is publicly criticizing the AfD for its hostility toward the church, opening up a new front in political disputes. This debate over state payments to the churches shows how the AfD is attacking traditional values and institutions. HVG ↗

The AfD's ambitious plans to reorganize the state apparatus should it take power are moving forward. In Saxony-Anhalt, the party plans to fill hundreds of positions in administrative bodies, with a realistic estimate of 150 to 200 posts within the civil-service apparatus. SPD parliamentary group leader Wiese in the Bundestag responded with a warning that the right-wing AfD wants to fill offices arbitrarily in favor of its own policies. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, meanwhile, an internal AfD policy draft reveals plans for a radical overhaul of migration, education, and cultural policy, including remigration. Tagesschau ↗

The international reach of these activities was also evident in the reaction of Russian officials. Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Vladimir Putin, publicly praised the AfD's poll numbers. This open interference by a foreign power ahead of the September election has raised considerable concern. Deutschlandfunk ↗

A historic success came with the victory of candidate René Stadtkewitz, who won 58.4 percent of the vote in the mayoral election in the town of Zehdenick in Brandenburg — the first time an AfD nominee has won this position in that state. Tagesspiegel ↗

Within the SPD, a passionate debate is currently raging over how to deal with the AfD. Torsten Albig has called into question the traditional so-called "firewall" (Brandmauer) — the political isolation of the AfD — stirring up controversy among Social Democrats. Most of the party, however, maintains that the isolation stance is necessary and that the AfD's growing appeal poses a serious threat to democracy.

The debate over the possibility of regulating or banning the party is intensifying.

This summary was generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies. Please verify information in the original sources below.