---
title: "Germany Far-Right Gains: Time to Act, Says Anna Sauerbrey"
description: "Via New York Times Top Stories: Germans are reeling after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made historic gains in three regional elections, includ..."
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### Germany Far-Right Gains: Time to Act, Says Anna Sauerbrey

New York Times Top Stories • September 21, 2026 at 6:37 PM ET

[×](/market?tab=nyt-top-stories)

Germans are reeling after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made historic gains in three regional elections, including a likely governing role in Saxony-Anhalt and a top finish in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces intense pressure after his party failed to enter parliament in one state, though he vows to stay in power. The AfD promotes ethnonationalism, hostility toward minorities, and proximity to Vladimir Putin's Russia, posing a clear threat to democracy.

Yet Germany is not the broken nation the AfD depicts. It confronts real crises: a failing export model, lagging innovation, a struggling auto sector, climate-driven heat and drought, and an aging population requiring more immigration. Reforms on pensions and energy have stalled. Anna Sauerbrey argues the center must stop reactive soul-searching — ten years after Trump and Brexit — and instead project confidence in its own agenda. Parties should emphasize long-term benefits of green energy, housing, and pension reform rather than apologize for costs. Most crucially, progress must root in local communities where change is tangible and faster. Germany still has time to turn things around, but it demands courage, vision, and grassroots action.

[Read original article](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/opinion/germany-elections-afd-merz.html)

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