Local elections in four eastern German states on Sunday drew unusually close attention, seen as a barometer for key state elections in September. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is fielding strong candidates for district administrator in three districts: Saalekreis (Saxony-Anhalt), Saalfeld-Rudolstadt (Thuringia), and Ostprignitz-Ruppin (Brandenburg).
In Aue-Bad Schlema, Saxony, a candidate from the more radical Free Saxons party entered a runoff after leading the first round. The AfD already holds one district administrator post in Sonneberg, Thuringia. Winning a second would be a symbolic breakthrough for the party, which polls at 29% nationally, versus Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative alliance at 21% (INSA).
Merz warned against a potential 'big bang' breakthrough by the AfD in regional polls. 'If we are not good enough, then just such a big bang will happen,' he said at a party conference in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. State elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are set for September, with polls suggesting the AfD could become the largest party in both states for the first time.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul promised closer cooperation with Mexico to combat organized crime, citing a significant rise in drug use in Europe. 'We are seeing Europe being virtually inundated by a wave of drugs originating from this region,' he said.
Germany's teenage star Lennart Karl will miss the World Cup after sustaining a muscle bundle tear in his left thigh during training in Chicago. The 18-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder was replaced by RB Leipzig's Assan Ouedraogo. Coach Julian Nagelsmann called it a 'huge shock.'
A German man died in a failed wingsuit BASE jump in the Swiss Alps. The 47-year-old jumped from approximately 2,080 meters near Bad Ragaz and fell to his death. It was the second fatal wingsuit incident in Switzerland in two days.
Politically motivated crime in Germany reached a new high in 2025, with at least 85,000 offenses recorded, more than double the number a decade ago. Right-wing extremism accounted for over half, while left-wing extremist crimes rose 35% to over 13,000 cases.
Source: www.dw.com