The conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is continuing to make gains across the country.
The AfD secured nearly 15 percent of the vote in North Rhine-Westphalia, placing third, according to preliminary results reported by Politico.
That marks a sharp rise from the 5.1 percent it received in the state’s last municipal elections five years ago.
“A huge success: According to initial projections, the AfD’s result in NRW has tripled,” AfD leader Alice Weidel wrote on the X platform.
”Heartfelt thanks to all campaigners and to our voters!”
Ein riesiger Erfolg: Nach ersten Prognosen hat sich das Ergebnis der AfD in NRW verdreifacht. Herzlichen Dank an alle Wahlkämpfer und an unsere Wähler! pic.twitter.com/5eim5eDxfP
— Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) September 14, 2025
In Gelsenkirchen, once a hub of heavy industry, the AfD’s candidate is expected to advance to a mayoral runoff against a center-left rival.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) maintained a clear lead, winning about 33 percent of the vote.
Its coalition partner, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) — historically dominant in the region’s industrial cities — followed with roughly 22 percent.
Both parties’ tallies were slightly lower than in the previous municipal vote.
In February’s federal election, the AfD captured 20.6 percent of the vote, finishing second overall and achieving the strongest showing ever for a far-right party in postwar Germany.
Its performance was driven by sweeping victories across nearly all of the former East German states.
Since then, support for the AfD has continued to grow, even as Germany’s left-wing intelligence agencies classify it as an extremist organization.
Meanwhile, the ruling parties have even threatened to ban the party altogether on the grounds that it represents a threat to German democracy!
Last month, a national poll found that the AfD’s overall support had surged to some 26 percent, which would make it the most popular party in Germany and give it the power to potentially form the next government.
BREAKING: For the first time ever:
The FPO are polling 1st in Austria
The RN Party is polling 1st in France
The AfD are polling 1st in Germany
Reform UK are polling 1st in BritainEuropeans are voting for the most right-wing party available. pic.twitter.com/eE1xPJ1SPc
— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) August 12, 2025
