Deutsche Bank CEO warns that extreme election wins could scare off foreign investors
Deutsche Bank chief Christian Sewing said recent state election victories by the AfD and the Left Party risk deterring overseas investors from Germany.
In an interview, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing cautioned that the recent successes of the far-right AfD in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, as well as the Left Party’s victory in Berlin’s city government, could drive foreign capital away from Germany. He explained that investors often cannot separate state policies from national outlooks, interpreting these wins as a broader trend. Sewing highlighted the AfD’s anti-immigration stance and the Left’s plan to seize residential property holdings as particularly unsettling for investors.
He called on Chancellor Friedrich Merz to press ahead with reforms aimed at revitalising the economy and offsetting extremist influences. The bank’s warning underscores concerns that political volatility may undermine Germany’s attractiveness to skilled workers and capital.
Why it matters
Investor confidence in Germany may fall if extreme parties shape state policies, affecting the economy and jobs.
How this story developed
- Sep 23 Heidenau city council will vote on a motion, supported by CDU and AfD members, to reject two proposed Stolpersteine for Fritz and Martha Goldstein and instead favor a collective memorial at the Nordfriedhof.
- Sep 24 Merz faces mounting pressure after the regional setbacks.
- Sep 24 The Israeli ambassador warned of an “immediate existential threat” to Berlin’s Jewish community over alleged antisemitism in the party.
- Sep 24 The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance pledged support for the AfD’s speaker nominee, creating a parliamentary majority for the AfD in Saxony‑Anhalt.
- Sep 27 The council has scheduled a vote on the proposed ban.
- Sep 27 SPD and Greens issued a joint warning demanding Die Linke reject antisemitism and clan crime before coalition talks proceed.
- Sep 29 AfD parliamentary group chair Ulrich Siegmund said he will stand for the Minister-President post in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament in December.
- Oct 3 Historian Brendan Simms warned that the return of great‑power competition is reshaping security and challenging Swiss defence.
- Oct 3 Tobias Rausch was elected speaker of the Landtag.
- Oct 3 AfD now ahead of the Union in the latest INSA Sunday poll, widening the gap.
- Oct 5 The council moved from debating the proposal to formally approving the resolution that declines new Stolpersteine applications.
- Oct 7 A secret ballot produced undisclosed extra votes, prompting CDU leaders to demand an investigation.
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