The state of Saxony-Anhalt, in eastern Germany, witnessed state parliament elections on September 6, and the biggest winner was the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party, which won 43.8 percent of the votes, achieving its highest electoral result in the state’s history.
It is still unclear who will rule the state, as the Alternative Party did not obtain an absolute majority. However, what he achieved was a landslide victory. The party's branch in Saxony-Anhalt is classified by the German Constitutional Protection Authority as an extreme right-wing movement, which worries many Germans.
The day after the elections, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who belongs to the conservative Christian Democratic Union party, said he was "deeply shocked" by the results, adding that the change was not limited to the state of Saxony-Anhalt only, but affected all of Germany.
The Meretz Party lost more than half of its vote share compared to the previous state elections, as its support rate declined from 37.1 percent in 2021 to 17.2 percent in 2026.
Two weeks later, in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state elections on September 20, the CDU failed to pass the 5 percent threshold needed to enter parliament. This was the first time in his history that he was unable to enter a state parliament, after obtaining only 4.9 percent of the votes.
On the other hand, the Alternative for Germany party topped the results again, obtaining 38.2 percent of the votes. On the same day, the Left Party won the Berlin elections, and became a candidate to lead the state government. In the German capital, the Christian Democratic Union came in second place, while the Alternative for Germany party came in third place.
The rise of extremists on the right and left is worrying
These local elections show that parties on the fringes of the political spectrum, whether on the far right or left, are growing stronger in Germany.
Although the country has historical experience with both extreme right-wing and extreme left-wing rule, starting with the Nazis who led Germany into World War II, all the way to the Communist Party that ruled East Germany between 1949 and 1989, the return of extremist movements to the political forefront raises concerns among many Germans.
According to the poll “What is the world worried about?” Conducted by the Ipsos Institute, about 18 percent of Germans said they were concerned about the growth of extremism in the country. The survey was based on the opinions of about a thousand people between the ages of 16 and 74 during the months of March and April 2026.
But concern in Germany is not limited to extremism alone; Many citizens feel concerned about the future of their country in general. In another Ipsos poll, 82 percent of respondents said they believe Germany is moving in the wrong direction.
How do we measure street trends?
Understanding what concerns public opinion is not limited to directly polling people. Researchers also rely on a range of tools to monitor prevailing political sentiments and trends.
Kirsten Ball, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, explains that these tools include quantitative and qualitative opinion polls, in addition to analysis of online discussions and content circulating on social media platforms.
Public mood can also be extrapolated through tangible manifestations of political sentiment, such as protests and demonstrations in the streets. The matter does not stop at monitoring these feelings and measuring their magnitude, but rather extends to understanding the symbolism that political issues may acquire in the eyes of people, beyond their direct material dimensions.
Pal explains that deteriorating infrastructure in an area, for example, may not be seen simply as a result of a lack of investment, but rather “may become in the consciousness of residents a sign that they feel forgotten or ignored by their leaders.”
Polarization... when political disagreement turns into hostility
Extremist parties winning increasing percentages of votes is what appears on the surface, but behind this scene lie two deeper phenomena of societal polarization: emotional polarization and ideological polarization.
In this context, Eva Walter, head of the Department of Social Psychology at the University of Trier in western Germany, said, “Emotional polarization is represented by growing feelings of hostility and hatred toward political opponents.”
Walther added that the problem is exacerbated "when this type of polarization moves to the level of the political parties themselves." Explaining that politicians belonging to different parties are forced, by virtue of political action, to cooperate and reach settlements. This does not require that they share affection, but in return, they must maintain a degree of mutual respect. Walther believes that "the decline in mutual respect between political opponents represents a real problem for democracy."
Ideological polarization: conflict of priorities
The other phenomenon, ideological polarization, is the division of society into groups that adopt different priorities on the issues they consider to be the most pressing.
In Germany, for example, many center-right supporters see immigration as the most pressing issue, while many center-left supporters place the climate crisis at the forefront of their concerns.
This divide becomes more acute when several crises, such as migration and climate change, occur at the same time. Researchers call this overlap the term multiple crises.
The effects of multiple crises not only increase the pressures faced by societies, but also deepen ideological polarization, as people disagree about which issues should be prioritized, making arriving at a common vision more difficult.
“We are currently witnessing the intersection of the climate crisis and the crisis of providing affordable energy, an issue that is as much related to the economy as it is to the environment,” Walther said.
Those who see the climate crisis as the most pressing challenge believe that abandoning fossil fuels as quickly as possible is essential. On the other hand, others who place the cost of energy at the forefront of their concerns fear that rapid reliance on renewable energy sources will lead to higher prices and increased living burdens.
People want politicians to take their concerns seriously
People's level of confidence in democracy is largely related to the extent to which they believe that politicians are competent and capable of confronting major challenges and making the necessary decisions to deal with them. However, the multiplicity and complexity of crises makes managing these challenges an extremely difficult task. Whatever issue politicians decide to prioritize, a part of society will feel that their concerns have not received adequate attention.
“Multiple crises make it difficult for politicians to act effectively, which weakens people’s confidence in their ability to solve the issues that matter to them,” Walther says.
She adds that far-right parties seek to "gain people's support by providing simplified answers to complex problems. This may lead some voters to believe that extremist politicians are more capable of finding solutions, which in turn contributes to deepening polarization."
However, Walther believes that democratic parties can benefit from some research findings to deal with this dilemma. “When a person is in pain and goes to the doctor, it is important that the doctor recognizes and understands his or her suffering,” she says. “Even if the doctor cannot solve the problem or relieve the pain immediately, showing serious concern for the patient and his or her suffering is still crucial. The same principle applies to politicians.”
“Politicians must put people’s needs at the forefront of their daily work,” explains Walther. “People want to feel that their problems are seen and understood, so it is important for politicians to show that they recognize and understand these problems.”
Whether it is a doctor who failed to help his patient or politicians who failed to respond to the demands of their constituents, the result is often the same: rising feelings of anger and resentment, a clear message that everyone can read and understand.
Prepared by: Nada Farouk
Edited by: Arif Jabo
