Overview
- Opinion polls reported on Aug. 30 show the far‑right Alternative for Germany with roughly 41–42% support, making it the likely strongest force in the Sept. 6 election.
- AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund has vowed to deport people without legal status "from minute one," and his party’s program calls for broad rollbacks on migration, public broadcasting and cultural policies.
- Many migrants and migrant‑run businesses say they feel unsafe, with some temporary closures and people preparing to leave the state because of rising hostility.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz and local hospital and business leaders warn that an AfD government would deter foreign investment and deepen acute labour shortages that already threaten health care and other services.
- Mainstream parties refuse to form coalitions with the AfD, so the final power balance will depend on whether smaller parties clear the 5% threshold and on post‑vote bargaining over minority arrangements.