Germany's AfD Adopts Trump-Inspired Strategies After Strong Election Performance
Following a significant electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is increasingly mirroring U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policy proposals. While the party fell just short of an absolute majority, it has a chance to form the first far-right state government since World War II. The AfD's platform now includes strict immigration measures, cultural shifts favoring classical architecture over Bauhaus, and slogans echoing Trump's "MAGA" campaign, despite polls showing low overall approval of Trump among Germans.
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is adopting strategies and rhetoric inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump following a strong electoral performance in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The party secured a resounding victory in the recent regional election, falling just short of securing an absolute majority but positioning itself with a chance to become the first far-right party to hold state power since World War II.
U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated the AfD's win in Saxony-Anhalt on social media. Ahead of Sunday's Berlin state election, the AfD was polling in third place in a tight race with the Left party and the centre-right CDU. On the campaign trail, AfD politicians have used the catchphrase "Make Saxony-Anhalt Great Again," directly echoing Trump's MAGA slogan.
The party's proposed policies mirror actions taken by the Trump administration. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD proposes stripping citizenship from immigrants who commit crimes, expanding detention centres, and creating a "deportation task force." Political scientist Eric Langenbacher noted that some AfD talking points resemble those in Project 2025, a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation.
Culturally, the AfD manifesto proposes following a Trump executive order to promote classical architecture in public buildings. The document criticizes the Bauhaus movement as untraditional and unnationalistic. Additionally, the AfD promises to declare Antifa a terrorist organization, similar to an action taken by Trump via executive order in September 2025.
While some AfD supporters view Trump as a model for gaining mainstream power, polls indicate he remains unpopular in Germany overall. According to Infratest-Dimap, only 15 per cent of Germans considered the U.S. a reliable partner in March 2026, rising to 37 per cent among AfD supporters. A January 2026 survey from Infratest-Dimap found that only one in eight Germans view Trump positively.