Delegates at the national convention of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party on Saturday overwhelmingly reelected co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who ran unopposed after four years leading the party together. Weidel received 81% support while Chrupalla earned 70%, according to results announced at the event in Erfurt. The convention proceeded as planned despite tens of thousands of protesters outside, some of whom clashed with police. German news agency dpa reported that police said approximately 31,000 people attended Saturday's protest rallies.
The demonstrations reflected deep divisions in Germany over a party that achieved second place nationally in February 2025 elections with 20.8% of the vote — the best showing by a far-right party since World War II. Since then, polling has shown AfD rising to first place among Germany's political parties overall. The party's convention coincided with the 100-year anniversary of a Nazi Party meeting held nearby that historians say helped consolidate Adolf Hitler's control over the fascist movement. AfD rejected symbolism in the timing.
What the Right Is Saying
Chrupalla addressed protesters in his convention speech. "There are no peaceful seated blockades. There are no democratic roadblocks," he said. "Nor are there any gangs of thugs who deserve the harmless label 'civil society.' These troublemakers are the last resort of our political rivals." He also declared optimism about upcoming elections: "We will win. Maybe we'll be able to govern alone soon. That would send the right message to the enemies of democracy out there who wanted to prevent our party convention from taking place."
AfD vehemently rejects accusations of extremism and argues that domestic intelligence agencies are being used as political instruments by mainstream parties trying to maintain power. The party says it is a legitimate democratic force responding to voter concerns about migration, economic stagnation, and government responsiveness.
Björn Höcke, one of AfD's regional leaders, said in his convention speech that the party wants to "make Germany great again," echoing U.S. President Donald Trump's MAGA platform. At least one attendee wore a hat with a "Make Germany Great Again" logo during the event. The party's leadership has also aligned with Trump administration positions on Iran while opposing German weapons deliveries to Ukraine and supporting lifting sanctions against Russia.
What the Left Is Saying
Lena Raupach, spokesperson for widersetzen, an anti-fascist alliance whose name translates to resist, said her group had hoped to block the convention from taking place. "The AfD pursues fascist policies: it wants mass deportations and terror on the streets," she said. "At the same time, however, it doesn't solve a single real problem. It pursues policies that benefit the rich, not ordinary citizens."
German mainstream parties maintain what they call a firewall against working with AfD at any level of government. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, announced last year that it had classified AfD as a proven right-wing extremist group before suspending the designation following a legal challenge from the party. In February, a Cologne court ruled the agency cannot use the extremist label while the court evaluates AfD's lawsuit.
Protests were largely peaceful, with demonstrators holding signs reading "Stop AfD Nazis" and "For Diversity, Against Nazis." Critics point to polling showing the party's rise as evidence of growing far-right sentiment and argue that mainstream parties must strengthen their united opposition to prevent further gains.
What the Numbers Show
AfD received 20.8% of the vote in Germany's February 2025 national election, finishing second nationally but becoming the strongest political force in Germany's formerly communist eastern regions. Current polling shows support at approximately 30% nationally — first among all parties. The party hopes to win 40% or more in a September 6 state election in Saxony-Anhalt, which could position AfD for an absolute majority or allow it to pursue defectors from other parties. Weidel was reelected with 81% of delegate votes; Chrupalla earned 70%. German political parties elect leaders every two years.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified AfD as a proven right-wing extremist group, though that designation is currently suspended pending court review. Police reported approximately 31,000 protesters at Saturday's rallies in Erfurt. Historically, Germany's supreme court has set a very high bar for banning political parties, with no major party successfully banned in the post-war era.
The Bottom Line
AfD's convention demonstrated continued internal unity and electoral momentum at a moment when the party faces both mass protests and ongoing legal challenges to its status as an extremist organization. The September Saxony-Anhalt election will serve as the next major test of whether AfD can translate polling strength into actual governing power in a German state for the first time. Courts are expected to rule on the intelligence agency's extremist classification later this year, which could affect how other parties approach potential cooperation. What happens next in Germany's eastern states may determine whether the firewall against far-right governance holds or begins to crack.