Berlin and NRW push legal measures to curb AfD influence after historic win
Following the AfD's breakthrough in Sachsen-Anhalt, Berlin's SPD senator Cansel Kiziltepe called for a new democratic-funding law, while NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst proposed a federal-state working group to study a possible party ban.
The AfD's historic victory in Sachsen-Anhalt, where it captured 43.8% of the vote and most direct mandates, has spurred a coordinated institutional response from Germany's traditional parties. Berlin's SPD senator Cansel Kiziltepe announced on Instagram that a new "Landesdemokratiefördergesetz" will be drafted to guarantee permanent, adequate funding for NGOs that mobilise against the far-right, arguing that the AfD could otherwise jeopardise these organisations by withdrawing subsidies.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Minister-President Hendrik Wüst called for a federal-state working group comprising the federal government, states, the constitutional protection office and legal scholars to examine the constitutional implications of the AfD's rise, explicitly naming a party ban as a last-resort option. Outside official channels, the "Deutsche Fonds für Demokratie e. V." was created in April to offer short-term financial relief and longer-term stabilization for NGOs facing funding cuts, with founders including former SPD and CDU parliamentarians Ulrich Kelber and Marco Wanderwitz.
The fund is supported by entities such as Campact, GLS Treuhand, the Robert-Bosch-Stiftung, innnit and the Haus des Stiftens. Together, these measures represent a shift from purely political contestation to a structured, legal-institutional strategy against the AfD.
How this story developed
- Sep 6 AfD poised for historic win as Saxony-Anhalt election draws massive voter turnout
- Sep 6 The CDU publicly acknowledges a severe loss in the Saxony‑Anhalt election.
- Sep 7 Final seat projections released showing AfD with 39 seats and CDU with 16 seats.
- Sep 7 Final results confirm the Landtag has 83 members, the CDU holds 15 seats and the BSW secured five seats while signalling willingness to cooperate on selected issues.
- Sep 8 Günter Krings, a member of the German Bundestag, described the recent Saxony-Anhalt vote as far worse than expected, with the AfD securing 43.8% of the ballots. He argued the CDU should not entertain discussions about replacing Chancellor Friedrich Merz so soon after the far-right's victory. Krings urged the party to focus on rebuilding its credibility and blamed EU decisions for part of voter anger. The CDU’s share fell to 17.2%, roughly half of its previous support.
- Sep 9 Former US president Donald Trump praised the Alternative for Germany (AfD) after its impressive result in Saxony-Anhalt, blaming the country's immigration policies.
- Sep 9 Trump posted a congratulatory message to the AfD on Truth Social after the Saxony‑Anhalt results.
- Sep 9 Merz and AfD leader Alice Weidel clashed in a Bundestag budget debate following the Saxony‑Anhalt result.
- Sep 10 A new Insa poll shows the CDU sliding sharply in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, while the SPD narrows the gap with the AfD and smaller parties risk missing the threshold.
- Sep 10 Claudia Obert resigned from the CDU and Tino Schomann publicly demanded Merz’s resignation.
- Sep 11 Only the BSW agreed to talks as all other parties declined, and Chancellor Merz rebuked Donald Trump’s congratulatory post.
- Sep 11 A new poll confirms the AfD’s continued lead while the CDU’s support keeps slipping.
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