Political psychology: Why extremist parties are thriving and what democratic politicians can do against it

On September 6, 2026, Germany's eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt held elections for its state parliament. The big winner: The right-wing AfD (Alternative for Germany) party, which garnered 43.8% of the votes; more than ever before. It's still unclear who will govern the state because the AfD does not have an absolute majority. But it was a landslide win for the AfD , whose Saxony-Anhalt branch is classified as right-wing extremist by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, and that worries many Germans. The day after the election, Chancellor Friedrich Merz from the conservative CDU said he was "deeply shocked" by the election results. "Not only did something change in Saxony-Anhalt yesterday but throughout all of Germany.