The rise of Germany’s AfD: From ordoliberalism to new right nationalism and into the Bundestag?

Author (Person)
Series Title
Series Details 27.06.17
Publication Date 20/09/2017
Content Type

Opinion polls suggested that as many as six independent parties could cross the electoral threshold and enter the Bundestag in Germany’s federal elections in September 2017.

In advance of the elections, LSE EuroppBlog ran a series profiling each of these parties. In the second article of the series, Julian Göpffarth traced the rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which narrowly missed out on entering the Bundestag in the last federal elections in 2013, but which was well placed to gain representation this time around.

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In the election held on the 24 September 2017 the AfD was seen to score a significant victory and secured 12.6% of the vote and a clear presence in the Bundestag.

Anti-AfD protestors took to the streets in some German cities following the results.

However, on the 25 September 2017, divisions within the AfD appeared when its co-leader Frauke Petry announced at a celebratory AfD press conference that she would sit as an independent in the Bundestag. Separately, four AfD MPs in the regional government in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern announced they were leaving the AfD to set up their own parliamentary group.

In October 2017, Frauke Petry announced that she established the Blue Party, hoping to win over voters disenchanted by the far-right direction of the AfD.

Source Link Link to Main Source http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/06/27/the-rise-of-germanys-afd/
Related Links
ESO: Key Source: German federal election, 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-federal-election-2017/
ESO: Background information: Alternative für Deutschland party conference, 22-23 April 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/alternative-fur-deutschland-party-conference-22-23-april-2017/
Deutsche Welle, 04.08.17: 10 things you need to know about Germany's right-wing AfD http://p.dw.com/p/2W7YF
Deutsche Welle: Tag: Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) http://www.dw.com/en/alternative-f%C3%BCr-deutschland-afd/t-17455253
EuVisions, 22.09.17: On the eve of the German elections, Alternative für Deutschland prevails on Twitter http://www.euvisions.eu/elections-alternative-deutschland/
Deutsche Welle, 27.09.17: AfD defectors led by Frauke Petry hint at breakaway party http://p.dw.com/p/2knZS
The Local.de, 13.10.17: Former AfD leader Petry sets up new party, hoping for more success than predecessor https://www.thelocal.de/20171013/former-afd-leader-petry-sets-up-new-party-hoping-for-more-success-than-predecessor
The GUardian, 20.09.17: [Opinion]: Like it or not, the far right is heading for Germany’s Bundestag https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/20/germany-far-right-bundestag-afd-nasty
Deutsche Welle, 19.09.17: German election: AfD Islamophobia could help get Muslims to vote http://p.dw.com/p/2kIpS
The Local.de, 22.09.17: 'Vote for loyal parties': Merkel takes on hard-right in final election push https://www.thelocal.de/20170922/merkel-takes-on-hard-right-in-final-german-vote-push
Spiegel Online International, 19.09.17: Silicon Valley and the German Election. AfD Accuses Google of Sabotaging Campaign http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/afd-accuses-google-of-sabotaging-campaign-a-1168757.html
Blog: The Economist: Kaffeeklatsch, 17.09.17: The next Bundestag. German politics is about to tip rightwards https://www.economist.com/blogs/kaffeeklatsch/2017/09/next-bundestag
Euro|Topics: Debates, September 2017: How successful is the AfD? http://www.eurotopics.net/en/186480/how-successful-is-the-afd
Al Jazeera, 21.09.17: Who are Germany's far-right AfD? http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/09/german-election-afd-170921080912611.html
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Deutsche Welle, 01.10.17: Frauke Petry, former AfD leader, eyes separate political group http://p.dw.com/p/2l2BE
EurActiv, 18.09.17: Far-right party likened to Nazis to shake up German parliament http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/far-right-party-likened-to-nazis-to-shake-up-german-parliament/
Deutsche Welle, 24.09.17: Far-right AfD enters German parliament: What it means for German politics http://p.dw.com/p/2kcdV
The Guardian, 25.09.17: AfD leader quits party caucus hours after German election breakthrough https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/25/afd-leader-frauke-petry-quits-party-german-election-breakthrough
Deutsche Welle, 25.09.17: Who is Frauke Petry, the AfD's controversial co-chair? http://p.dw.com/p/2ke7G
The Local.de, 26.09.17: Petry, co-leader of far-right AfD, to quit party altogether as strife deepens https://www.thelocal.de/20170926/co-leader-of-far-right-afd-petry-quits-as-party-strife-deepens
EUObserver, 20.09.17: The rise of the German alt-right https://euobserver.com/elections/139058
Politico, 24-25.09.17: German far right will ‘hunt’ Merkel from new perch in parliament http://www.politico.eu/article/alexander-gauland-angela-merkel-afd-germany-far-right-leader-we-will-hunt-merkel/
The Conversation, 24.09.17: Germany’s AfD: how to understand the rise of the right-wing populists https://theconversation.com/germanys-afd-how-to-understand-the-rise-of-the-right-wing-populists-84541
Deutsche Welle, 24.09.17: Anti-AfD protests break out across Germany after election http://p.dw.com/p/2kcei

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