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The AfD’s success on Sunday in Germany’s regional elections has been likened to a “political earthquake”. But the results in Thuringia and Saxony may be even more consequential than the Right-wing party’s opponents realise. That’s because the AfD appears to have comprehensively captured the youth vote. Among those aged 18-24 in Thuringia, 38% voted for the party, with the nearest competitor in the age bracket being the Left-wing Die Linke on 16%. In Saxony, the corresponding figure for Gen Z AfD support was 31%.
East Germany’s Gen Z is shifting right – massively. pic.twitter.com/wV1MSy8Pzs
— Ralph Schoellhammer (@Raphfel) September 1, 2024
The party has been praised for its effective use of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, and it captured 17% of the 18-24 vote in June’s European elections as the Left-wing Greens plummeted among young voters. The AfD’s opposition to foreign wars and focus on limiting immigration have both proved popular with German Zoomers, while the party has capitalised on a growing disaffection with the political establishment. The popularity of Ausländer Raus should have been a clue…
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