Germany in September 2026: the most important developments in society
German society in September 2026 was shaped by reactions to the AfD's election gains, a malaria outbreak in Frankfurt and tensions around antisemitism and migration.
The AfD's win in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6 brought protests, with thousands demonstrating in eastern Germany and tens of thousands across the country in the following weeks, including in Marburg, Dresden and Potsdam. During a protest in Saxony-Anhalt, demonstrators were shot at with air guns and one person was injured. Merz said on September 9 that the AfD's "remigration" policy amounted to "ethnic cleansing." Björn Höcke called on September 16 for wider police powers for "remigration," and Alice Weidel urged Ukrainians in Germany to return home. A Turkish community in Saxony-Anhalt asked authorities to stop sending immigrants to the state, and churches, bishops and a Holocaust survivor voiced concern about the party. German media changed their rules for interviews with the AfD after criticism. In Heidenau, the CDU and the AfD voted together against installing Stolpersteine, the brass plaques commemorating victims of Nazi persecution.
A second thread was the malaria outbreak linked to Frankfurt Airport. Health authorities reported a third death on September 17 and advised residents of the Schwanheim area to use mosquito protection; investigations were expanded and officials said undetected infections were possible. Separately, a record 16,300 heat-related deaths were reported for the summer.
After the Berlin election on September 20, in which the Left party won, Jewish leaders and politicians clashed over the party. The Central Council of Jews called for action against antisemitism and for closing the door to the party, a Jewish leader advised young Jews to leave Berlin, and about 150 Berlin Jews and Israelis backed a Left-led government. A chat scandal involving a member of the Remmo family and a Left party MP also drew attention.
Other developments included boycott calls against Adidas over a campaign with a former Israeli soldier, to which the company responded with an apology; protests by Volkswagen, BMW and Bosch workers on September 21 over job losses; school strikes on September 26 against compulsory military service plans; and a nursing home fire in Berlin-Kreuzberg on September 19 that killed one person and injured 27. Merz also opened a debate on the dual public-private health insurance system.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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