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Ulrich Siegmund (left), candidate for state premier from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), and Tino Chrupalla, co-leader of the AfD, gesture at an election night event for the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament election held in Magdeburg, Germany, on the 6th (local time). / EPA, Yonhap

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has emerged on top in a German regional election, reaffirming the broader surge of hard-right forces across Europe.

According to German public broadcaster ZDF, the AfD placed first in the state parliament election held in the former East German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the 6th (local time), securing 44.4% of the vote. With this outcome, the AfD has opened up the possibility of taking power in a state government for the first time for a far-right party in post-World War II Germany.

Ulrich Siegmund (35), the AfD candidate for state premier of Saxony-Anhalt who led this electoral surge to become a central figure in the party, stated, "We have written history in this country". He added, "The people have finally made it clear that they want political change, and above all, they have shown that they want to achieve that change with us."

U.S. President Donald Trump shared a screenshot of the election results on his social media platform Truth Social without separate commentary, while conservative leaders across Europe cheered the outcome as the "will of the people for change," Reuters reported.

The result deals a heavy blow to the conservative bloc, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—who has faced falling approval ratings amid economic stagnation and repeated controversies over gaffes—and his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Although the AfD failed to secure an outright majority of seats, a shift in major policy directions—including immigration controls, restoration of relations with Russia, and a halt to aid for Ukraine—is expected to become inevitable if a coalition with the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which has expressed a willingness to ally, materializes.

Mainstream parties continue to maintain a "firewall (Brandmauer)" policy of refusing any coalition with the AfD due to Nazi history. In response, the AfD has consistently dismissed allegations of extremism, calling them "fear-mongering defamation and an insult to millions of supporters."

The AfD's advance is not confined to the eastern regions. In recent nationwide opinion polls, the party recorded 28% support, leading the traditional conservative alliance (20%), while its backing is also trending upward across western Germany.

A similar rightward shift is being observed in France. Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) recorded around 35% in recent party support surveys, leading by a wide margin over the left-wing coalition (around 25%) and French President Emmanuel Macron's governing Renaissance party (around 14%).

Le Pen, who reached the runoff in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, is aiming for her first victory in the 2027 race. RN President Jordan Bardella previously heralded a massive overhaul of conventional refugee and security policies, declaring that "upon taking power, we will cooperate with right-wing forces across Europe to pursue strong immigration policies."

In the United Kingdom, Reform UK, the right-wing populist party led by Nigel Farage, is also expanding its influence within the political establishment.

After causing a sensation in England's local elections last May by expanding its seat count from two to 1,454, Reform UK recently tied with the governing Labour Party at 23% in opinion polls.

Reform UK has likewise positioned anti-immigration measures and stronger border controls as its core platform, aiming to take power in the 2029 general election.

Analysts note that the simultaneous rise of hard-right forces across major European nations is driven by entrenched economic stagnation, high inflation, voter fatigue over immigration policies, and distrust toward established mainstream parties.

Experts anticipate that as traditional left-right bipartisan structures erode and populist, nationalist parties integrate into parliamentary mainstream forces, significant ripple effects will emerge across European Union integration policies and coordinated immigration and security frameworks.

                                                                                                            Lee Jung-eun