Germany's anti-immigration AfD elects new leaders amid mass protests
Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of Erfurt, Germany, as the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) held its national party conference and re-elected its leadership despite widespread opposition.
Demonstrators from labor unions, civil society organizations, and left-wing political groups attempted to block roads leading to the conference venue, while thousands of police officers were deployed to secure the event. Some clashes broke out between protesters and police, but authorities said the conference was able to begin on schedule despite the disruptions. Estimates of the turnout ranged from around 15,000 to more than 30,000 protesters.
Inside the conference, delegates overwhelmingly re-elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's co-leaders. The two leaders hailed the AfD's growing popularity and declared that the party aims to move from being Germany's largest opposition force to holding power, first in regional governments and eventually at the national level. They described the AfD as the country's "new people's party" and said it represents voters dissatisfied with Germany's political establishment.
The conference also highlighted the party's hardline stance on immigration. Weidel pledged stricter border controls and promised the deportation of illegal migrants and criminals, arguing that Germany must reverse what she called its national decline. Chrupalla emphasized unity within the party and pointed to upcoming elections in Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt) and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) as key opportunities to achieve the AfD's first regional governing victories.
The AfD has surged in national opinion polls, in some surveys overtaking Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU alliance. Despite its growing support, mainstream political parties continue to uphold Germany's "Brandmauer" (firewall), a policy that refuses any coalition or cooperation with the AfD. Critics accuse the party of promoting extremist and anti-immigration policies that threaten Germany's democratic values, while AfD leaders reject those allegations and insist they are committed to the country's democratic system.