Germany’s AfD Re-Elects Leaders as Thousands Protest Far-Right Party Convention

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party held its national convention in Erfurt this weekend to re-elect its leadership, as thousands of protesters clashed with police outside ahead of state elections this fall that could deliver the party its first regional governorship.

The two-day convention, where co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be reappointed, comes as AfD polls as high as 41% in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, more than 15 points clear of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats. A win in the Sept. 6 vote, followed two weeks later by another eastern state election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, would mark a breakthrough for a party that mainstream rivals have so far kept out of government.

A convention under heavy protest

Police estimated around 15,000 demonstrators joined protests in and around Erfurt on Saturday, with some blocking highways leading to the convention center and clashing with officers in riot gear. The protests, organized by unions, civil society groups and left-wing parties, reflected the deep polarization surrounding AfD even as it has become Germany’s largest opposition party nationally.

The convention’s timing has drawn additional controversy for coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of a Nazi Party meeting held nearby that consolidated Adolf Hitler’s control over the fascist movement, a parallel historians and political opponents have raised and which AfD rejects.

Leadership renewal, election stakes

AfD is meeting to reelect its leaders, a process German parties hold every two years. Co-leaders Weidel and Chrupalla, who have jointly run the party for four years, are expected to be reappointed as the party seeks to project unity heading into the fall campaign. Weidel recently described 2026 as “a year of destiny” for the party.

The stakes center on two upcoming state elections in the former East Germany. AfD is polling as high as 41% ahead of the Sept. 6 election in Saxony-Anhalt, compared with 23% for Merz’s Christian Democrats, according to the latest survey cited by Reuters. A win at that level could put AfD on course for an absolute majority or position it to attract defectors from other parties, potentially delivering its first state governor. A second election follows two weeks later in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the party is also optimistic about becoming the largest party.

Why the east has become AfD’s stronghold

AfD’s first county administration head was elected in Thuringia, the state where Erfurt is located, in 2023, though no further local wins have followed since, as mainstream candidates have rallied enough support to block repeats. Political expert Albrecht von Lucke, who edits the magazine Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik, said AfD is “standing before the gates of power, to some extent.” He added that governing Saxony-Anhalt well would be “a huge challenge” for the party given likely internal conflicts.

The party has been buoyed by widespread dissatisfaction with Merz’s national coalition government, which took office 14 months ago promising economic reform, and has increasingly built support beyond its founding focus on immigration, including opposition to weapons deliveries to Ukraine and calls to lift sanctions on Russia. AfD also made strong gains in two western German state elections earlier this year, signaling its appeal is broadening beyond its eastern base.

Firewall and extremism concerns

Mainstream parties maintain a so-called “firewall” policy ruling out cooperation with AfD. Opponents have raised concerns that an AfD-led state government could replace large numbers of civil servants or risk sensitive information reaching far-right circles or Russia. Thuringia’s center-left interior minister, Gregor Maier, told ARD television that “an AfD interior minister would be a security risk.” AfD rejects such concerns, with Chrupalla telling a Berlin rally this week, “We will prove that we can do it better.”

The party is separately locked in a legal battle with Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, which classified AfD as a proven right-wing extremist group last year before a Cologne court suspended the designation pending a fuller legal review. In a report issued this week, the agency said it found no indication the party had shifted from what it described as statements reflecting an ethnicity-based understanding of the nation that contradicts Germany’s constitution.