erfurt, germanyAP —
Thousands of demonstrators on Saturday aimed to disrupt a national conference for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party, with some clashing with police in riot gear outside the rally.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is holding a meeting in the eastern city of Erfurt to elect its leader, which Germany’s political parties hold every two years. The party aims to show unity while extending the terms of Alice Weidel and Tino Churupala, who have run the party together for four years.
The demonstrations outside the convention reflect how divided the AfD is in Germany, even though it is the largest opposition party nationally.
This weekend’s convention sparked further controversy as it coincided with the 100th anniversary of the nearby Nazi Party congress that consolidated Adolf Hitler’s power over the fascist movement. Historians and political opponents say the timing has strong symbolism, but the AfD rejects this charge.
“2026 is a fateful year for the AfD,” Weidel said recently. Mainstream political parties say they will not cooperate with this stance, often known as a “firewall.”
But the AfD is capitalizing on the unpopularity of a government seeking to reform the struggling economy.
The party is adept at harnessing discontent on issues far beyond its signature theme of curbing immigration, which drove its expansion in the mid-2010s.
The AfD aims to win more than 40% of the vote in the September 6 state election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. That could put the party on track to win an absolute majority or put it in a position to attract defectors from other parties, paving the way for its first governorship.
