German Far-Right Party Surges to Major Victory in Merz’s Home State Election

SUPPORT FOR FAR-RIGHT AFD SURGES IN GERMANY’S MOST POPULOUS STATE

Tue 16 September 2025: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative party has won local elections in the country’s most populous state, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) nearly tripled its share of the vote from five years ago. Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won about 33.3 percent of the vote in his home state […]

German Far-Right Party Surges to Major Victory in Merz’s Home State Election

A far-right party has made significant gains in a recent election in North Rhine-Westphalia, the home state of German CDU leader Friedrich Merz. The unexpected surge in voter support marks a notable shift in the region’s political landscape, raising concerns about the growing influence of nationalist and populist movements in one of Germany’s key states. [...]