Right-wing AfD makes historic gains in west German election

The party gained record-breaking support in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg outside of its political heartland

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has scored a record result in Baden‑Wurttemberg’s regional elections, doubling its vote share from the previous election and achieving its highest result outside its traditional heartland.

The right-wing party finished third in the election held over the weekend, behind the Greens and Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). It secured nearly 19% of the vote, up from just under 10% in 2021. The result also marks AfD’s highest score outside the former East German states, which are its traditional stronghold.

AfD’s previous best result in former West Germany was in the 2023 regional election in Hessen, where it won 18.4% of the vote.

The party’s federal co-chair, Tino Chrupalla, called the result “a huge success.” AfD regional co-chair Emil Saenze said his party would be willing to cooperate with the CDU or even join a coalition – something the Christian Democrats have ruled out so far.

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The other regional co-chair, Markus Frohnmaier, said AfD and the CDU were the only two parties to make gains, adding that most voters supported “conservative” parties – a “clear signal” for change.

The Greens – a party known for its pro-EU, Atlanticist stance, which dominated the political landscape in the state over the past two electoral cycles – still narrowly defeated the CDU, with the margin between them under 1%. Both parties received roughly 30% of the vote.

The AfD has been steadily gaining ground across Germany over the past years, fueled by rising dissatisfaction with mainstream parties and debates over immigration and EU policies.

It remained the most popular opposition party throughout most of 2025 following the February elections, where it got 20% of the vote, taking second place to the CDU/CSU bloc. It continues to remain popular, with the latest polls suggesting it is supported by between 24% and 25% of Germans, just one point behind the CDU/CSU.