Germany’s 2025 federal election and the seemingly (un)stoppable rise of the AfD

The message everywhere is that political problems simply have to be solved. And of course, political problems must be solved more quickly and effectively – that is the job of politicians. A job that, given their complexity, is anything but easy – even if the populists claim otherwise. But when politicians communicate that they are solving problems primarily to weaken the AfD and not for the sake of solving them, then they are giving the party considerable influence: Why should people vote for the CDU/CSU or SPD when a strong AfD, through their influence, is actually the only way their concerns are finally heard? Instead of making the AfD the benchmark and engaging in party-political references, general needs and strengthening the community should be the focus of effective political action in order to improve life for all people, regardless of their voting behavior.