February 23, 2025 — Berlin, Germany
German citizens selected a centrist conservative government on Sunday, with the far-right party AfD, or Alternative for Germany, taking second place in the nation’s fourth “snap election” in the history of the post-war German Federal Republic.
The election was held seven months early to determine the 630 members of the 21st Bundestag, which is Germany’s parliament. The results indicate that AfD could play a larger political role than ever before, even if it doesn’t end up as part of a ruling coalition. Businessman Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democrat party, is poised to be Germany's next chancellor.
The party has attracted significant attention from U.S. political leaders of late, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who in addition to visiting a Holocaust concentration camp during a recent trip to Europe also met with Alice Weidel, the head of Germany’s AfD party. AJC responded to the meeting by sharing that, “AfD is a party with a clear record of antisemitism and hostility to America: Björn Höcke, one of AfD’s most prominent figures, called Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial a “monument of shame” and said Germany needs a ‘180-degree turn’ in how it remembers the past; Alice Weidel, whom VP Vance met, said Germany must “stop being a slave state” to the U.S.; Germany’s domestic intelligence agency is monitoring the party as a potential extremist threat.; Höcke has openly said, “America, like Germany, is under foreign control, ruled by a war-hungry, globalist elite.”; Höcke was fined for using the banned Nazi slogan “Everything for Germany” during a public speech. This is not a comprehensive list.”
Here’s what to know about AfD.
What is the AfD?
Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a right-wing extremist party in Germany, founded in 2013 in response to the European Union's handling of the Eurozone financial crisis. Initially, the party focused on opposing the EU, particularly its economic policies, and advocating for more nationalist, anti-globalist positions.
The AfD was voted into state parliaments for the first time in 2014. And in 2017 they were voted in the Federal Parliament, the Bundestag, for the first time.
Over time, the AfD has evolved into a broader right-wing populist party with increasingly hardline antisemitic, anti-immigrant, anti-NATO, and anti-American positions.
Like other populist parties that have emerged in the West over the last decade, AfD’s rhetoric often includes anti-immigrant, anti-Islam, and anti-EU views that have drawn significant support from voters who feel alienated by mainstream political parties and their stances on immigration and the economy.
Why is the AfD Controversial?
The AfD has been widely criticized for its antisemitic, xenophobic, nationalist, and even extremist positions and rhetoric. In recent years, elements of the party have even promoted Holocaust denial. Its members have repeatedly made inflammatory statements that target minority groups, particularly Muslims, immigrants, and refugees.
The party’s more controversial figures, such as Björn Höcke, Alexander Gauland and Alice Weidel have downplayed or ignored Germany's Nazi past, with some members linked to far-right extremism. In 2021, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic intelligence agency, classified the AfD as a "suspected right-wing extremist" group, focusing on its more radical factions. The party's youth wing, Young Alternative (JA), has been especially scrutinized for promoting far-right ideologies.
Recent Controversies Ahead of the German Election
In the run-up to Germany's federal 2025 election, the AfD has continued to stir controversy with a series of inflammatory statements and actions. Notably, AfD members have criticized Germany's support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's unprovoked war against the country. They’ve also sharply criticized the European sanctions against Russia, which has led some analysts to speculate that the AfD is seeking to strengthen ties with Russia and even China.
The AfD has gained support from those in German society concerned about housing shortages, unemployment, and the perceived erosion of German culture and values.
In addition, a series of knife attacks by terrorists who immigrated from Syria and Afghanistan has ramped up fears and further fueled AfD’s rise.
AfD's Stance on Israel, Antisemitism, and Holocaust Remembrance
While AfD party officially claims to support Israel’s right to exist and condemns antisemitism, its actions and statements often suggest otherwise. Members of the AfD, especially from its more radical wing, have made antisemitic remarks or associated with far-right ideologies that downplay the Holocaust or promote revisionist history. They also have made favorable statements about the Iranian regime.
For instance, in 2017, influential AfD politician Björn Höcke called the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin a "monument of shame" and downplayed Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust. While the AfD leadership at the time distanced itself from such comments, this approach of minimizing or challenging Germany's historical reckoning with its Nazi past has moved from the fringe and taken over the party.
In 2019, AfD lawmakers in Bavaria's state parliament walked out of a tribute to Holocaust victims after the president of the Jewish Community in Munich gave a speech warning of politicians that trivialized Nazi crimes.
In the current election for chancellor, AfD candidate Alice Weidel has used the far-right German phrase Schuldkult, or “guilt cult” to describe Germany’s Holocaust remembrance culture, shrugging off concerns that the phrase has neo-Nazi connotations. She has said German politics should not be driven by historical guilt but by “confidence and responsibility for the future.”
In fact, during the televised debate of the four chancellor candidates, Chancellor Olaf Scholz recalled a statement made by the AfD honorary chairman, Alexander Gauland, who said in June 2018 that the 12 years of Nazi rule are a “mere bird sh*t in over 1,000 years of successful German history.” When asked multiple times by the moderators, Weidel refused to condemn Gauland's remark.
Meanwhile, AfD chairman Tino Chrupalla has sharply criticized additional arms deliveries to Israel announced by Chancellor Scholz. "With your arms deliveries to Israel, you are accepting the dehumanization of all civilian casualties on both sides. You are not contributing to de-escalation but are constantly pouring oil on the fire," the AfD leader accused the federal government in the Bundestag.
The federal government, he argued, believes it can solve conflicts in the Middle East through arms deliveries. However, "there must be no delivery of German weapons to any warring party," demanded the AfD leader, while at the same time emphasizing Israel's right to self-defense.
Certain AfD factions have criticized Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza, sometimes crossing the line into anti-Israel rhetoric, and voiced support for Russian-backed regimes, such as the Assad-ruled Syria and Iran, which is openly hostile toward Israel.
