Elections
German Far-Right Party Surges in Vote in Merz’s Home State
A voter casts a ballot at a polling station during the local elections in Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on Sept. 14.
Photographer: Friso Gentsch/picture alliance/Getty Images
Germany’s far-right AfD party nearly tripled support in municipal elections in the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia and both ruling parties lost ground, intensifying pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to revive growth and push through reforms.
In the country’s most-populous state, the Alternative for Germany increased its share of the vote by 9.4 percentage points to 14.5%, according to official preliminary results. The anti-immigration party will also head to a runoff in mayor’s races in Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen and Hagen.