In Germany, the AfD sets out to conquer the West

In the city of Gelsenkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, few residents are willing to explain to Deutsche Welle who they plan to vote for on Sunday, September 14.

With the Rhineland municipal and local elections approaching, the German broadcaster visited this typical municipality in the industrial and mining region of the Ruhr to take the population's pulse. With one question in the background: "Will the AfD also take over West German cities?"

The Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is known for its long-standing presence in the former GDR states. But the growing unpopularity of the new chancellor, the conservativeFriedrich Merz , and his government could give the far-right party wings.

In the last federal elections in February 2025, the AfD's results were certainly lower in the West. But the party still gained votes there .

In Gelsenkirchen, he even came out on top – leading Deutsche Welle to question whether the West's first AfD town hall could emerge there. "Five years ago, the party won 13 percent of the vote and 11 seats on Gelsenkirchen's city council. According to polls, the town is set to shift even more sharply to the right."

The public media outlet explains that medium-sized cities like Gelsenkirchen are now being targeted by the far-right party and its supporters, including American billionaire Elon Musk . “In the city, which has the highest unemployment and poverty rates in Germany, the party clearly has no trouble capturing the votes of those disaffected by politics who feel abandoned.”

The situation in Gelsenkirchen is not the same as in other municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia. But the September 14 elections will be a test for the conservative-Social Democratic government, as well as for the far-right opposition. In 2020, the Christian Democrats won the state hands down. It is uncertain whether this will be the case in 2025.