AfD faces internal crisis and economic warnings

In Germany on 26 August 2026, polls ahead of the 6 September state election in Saxony-Anhalt showed the AfD widening its lead over the CDU, with the SPD and Greens also gaining, according to an ARD poll by Infratest dimap. Junge Freiheit wrote that the AfD stands at 43 percent across eastern Germany. Ulrich Siegmund is the AfD's candidate in Saxony-Anhalt. WELT wrote that economists warned about AfD plans, citing '10,000 jobs gone, 1,600 euros less per head', and Der Spiegel wrote that an AfD member of parliament made serious allegations in an internal letter to Weidel.

At the end of a cabinet retreat, Chancellor Merz held to abolishing the 'Rente mit 63' pension option and called for a 'new confidence'. WELT wrote that SPD leader Schwesig blamed the federal government in part for the AfD's strength. Sven Hüber, deputy chair of the GdP police union, resigned with immediate effect, calling accusations against him 'rufmordähnlich' (akin to character assassination).