Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has taken up its largest-ever share of seats in the country’s new parliament, with 152 lawmakers seated in the Bundestag. The AfD’s dominance was evident during the first session on Tuesday, as its parliamentary leader Bernd Baumann demanded that former leader Alexander Gauland be recognized as “Father of the House,” a title traditionally reserved for the oldest member.
The party’s growth is attributed to economic underperformance and uncertainty caused by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The AfD has become more extreme in its views, with some lawmakers expressing radical views and others having military backgrounds.
Despite being limited in formal powers, the AfD will test the “firewall” against political cooperation with far-right parties. A court ruling earlier this month allowed the parliamentary football team to include AfD legislators, marking a shift in how mainstream parties approach the issue.
The new parliament’s composition reflects the growing self-confidence of the AfD and the narrowing gap between it and the election-winning conservatives. The party’s formal powers will be subject to compromise with other parties, including the conservative leader Friedrich Merz and his Social Democrat coalition partners.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/emboldened-unrepentant-germanys-far-right-poised-expanded-parliamentary-role-2025-03-24