Germany's federal elections this Sunday could significantly shift the political landscape as the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) gains unprecedented support. Amid concerns about public safety, a road trip across various cities reveals voters’ fears and uncertainties. Many, like an unemployed baker in Wolfsburg, are considering voting for the AfD, reflecting widespread anxiety about the future. While conservative Friedrich Merz of the CDU is expected to lead after the election, questions arise about how he will address the rise of the far-right and its implications for Germany's identity.
This Sunday, millions of Germans will head to the polls to vote in the country's federal elections historic not only because they will determine who will be the next chancellor, but because they come at a time when the far right in Germany is polling better than in any other period since the second world war. Regardless of the result, it is a remarkable development for a country so haunted by its Nazi past.
Pidd takes a road trip through Germany to find out why, and finds a country increasingly unsure of itself: a voter in Magdeburg, the scene of a horrific attack on a Christmas market in December, now afraid of going to public events.
The AfD is unlikely to enter office after the elections—all the polls indicate that the next chancellor will be Friedrich Merz, of the conservative Christian Democrat Union. But will he resist the temptation of flirting with the country's growing far-right politics?
This election seems to be not just about a chancellor, but also about how the powerful nation of Germany navigates its relationship with a resurgent far-right, and the implications of that for minorities.
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