Is Germany's firewall against the far right crumbling?

5 days ago 69

With Germany’s far right party ahead in the polls, voters in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt are gearing up for what could be one of the most significant elections in the country’s post-war history.

CBC News

· Posted: Sep 02, 2026 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: less than a minute ago

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An election poster of Ulrich Siegmund, the top candidate for the "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) party. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

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Front Burner30:48Is Germany's firewall against the far right crumbling?

After a vote this weekend, the far right could take power in a part of Germany for the first time since WWII. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is far ahead in the polls in a state election in Saxony-Anhalt. They're promising massive changes to immigration, education, and what they call "patriotic cultural policy." Their rise is testing the country's firewall strategy, which was designed to stop parties seen as extremist from gaining power. CBC's Jessica Singer speaks with guest host Jason Markusoff about her reporting from the region in the run-up to the election.

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