AfD plans for election win as Putin ally calls party hope for Germans

In Germany on 16 May 2026, the AfD set a record in national polls, while the Union lost support. Dmitriev, described as a Putin ally, called the AfD a 'hope for the Germans'.

Der Spiegel set out what the AfD plans if it wins the election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, including remigration, a repatriation police and a culture war. Interior ministers warned against an AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of the state election, and Söder saw a danger to democracy.