The Alternative for Germany party has tried to soften its hardline image but is still privately working with extremists. It could win a state election on Sunday.
“In some parts of East Germany, right-wing extremism is the mainstream culture, and that is why there are no fears of being seen together in public,” said Johannes Hillje, who researches the far right and is a fellow at the Progressive Center, a left-leaning think tank in Berlin.
The article was originally published on 04.09.2026 in The New York Times.
Author
Johannes Hillje is a political and communications consultant working in Berlin and Brussels. He works for institutions, political parties, companies and NGOs. In 2014, he managed the EU election campaign of the European Green Party.