AFD CONGRESS IN ERFURT: GERMANY TAKES TO THE STREETS AGAINST THE FAR RIGHTCOMPARATIVE VIEW
EXPLORE THIS STORY
SHARE THIS COMPARISON
Show your friends how the world sees the same news differently.
On July 4-5, 2026, Germany's AfD held its federal congress in Erfurt and re-elected co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, flaunting its ambitions for power. Some 20,000 demonstrators converged to block the event; police clashed with left-wing protesters, deploying tear gas and leaving several injured, including journalists. From Berlin to Brussels, the rise of the German far right raises concern.
FRAMING GAP
64/100MODERATE
Notable divergences appear between perspectives
Here are the main framing differences identified between media coverages.
ANALYSIS BY COUNTRY
AUSTRALIADOMINANT ANGLE
Canberra measures the AfD's rise through the lens of its own national experience with populism, recognizing identical mechanisms to those that propelled Pauline Hanson and One Nation onto the political landscape.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Approximately 15,000 protesters converged in Erfurt to block access roads to the AfD congress, according to police estimates reported by PerthNow
- •The AfD reelected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla; the party ranks at the top of national polling, ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives
- •According to Julianne Schultz in The Guardian Australia, trust in media hovers around 40 percent in most democracies, slightly higher in Australia
BIASES
Comparative-centered framing: the German event is systematically reported through the lens of Australia's own populist experience (Hanson and One Nation)Preference for structural analysis: greater attention given to systemic drivers of populism than to factual details of the Erfurt congressLimited coverage of protesters: the protest movement in Erfurt is mentioned briefly, without detailed analysis of its participants or demands
FRANCESTATEDOMINANT ANGLE
Paris reads a decisive moment in German politics at Erfurt: the AfD openly claims power while tens of thousands of Germans attempted to physically block the congress.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Police counted 31,000 protesters at Erfurt on July 4, with organizers of the "Resistance" alliance claiming 50,000; the AfD congress nonetheless began as scheduled.
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as co-chairs, with Weidel placing her most radical supporters in key leadership positions; the AfD approaches 30% in German polling.
- •Tino Chrupalla declared from the podium: 'We will govern, in one region first and all of Germany next,' targeting notably the Saxony-Anhalt region in September 2026.
BIASES
Historical memory framing: French coverage heavily emphasizes references to the 1933-1945 period, anchoring the mobilization in an antifascist register.Preference for protest voices: quotations from protesters are more numerous and developed than those from AfD delegates or leaders.Limited electoral analysis: the reasons why approximately 30% of respondents support the AfD receive limited in-depth examination in the coverage.
GERMANYSTATEDOMINANT ANGLE
Berlin deciphers the dual dynamics of the Erfurt AfD Congress: carefully managed internal professionalization set against unprecedented street resistance.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Weidel reelected with 81.3% of votes (versus 79.8% in 2024); Chrupalla reconfirmed with just 70.0% compared to 82.7% at the Essen congress, unopposed for both positions.
- •Highway A71 blocked by approximately 300 protesters, with 800 others conducting a sit-in at Gothaer Platz that disrupted the tramway network; police anticipated up to 50,000 opponents.
- •In Saxe-Anhalt, AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, 35 years old, could secure an absolute majority in the September regional election according to polling reported by Tagesschau.
BIASES
Electoral framing dominant: coverage prioritizes the congress's strategic impact on upcoming regional elections over deeper programmatic analysis.Emphasis on professionalization narrative: media outlets stress the party's internal discipline, which reinforces the image of a well-managed political force in ascendancy.Limited coverage of protest demands: the motivations and messages of opponents receive minimal development compared to detailed treatment of logistical disruptions.
POLANDDOMINANT ANGLE
Warsaw assesses AfD's surge: 30,000 protesters in Erfurt failed to prevent the congress from proceeding on schedule, while the party openly proclaims ambitions to govern alone in eastern Länder.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •More than 30,000 protesters blocked access to Erfurt with 500 people occupying the A71 highway; police deployed pepper spray and journalists sustained injuries (Gazeta Prawna)
- •Tino Chrupalla declared during the congress: 'Perhaps we will soon be able to govern alone,' referring to September 2026 regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Dziennik.pl)
- •Despite blockades, approximately 540 of 600 authorized delegates were present by 5 a.m. and the congress started on schedule (Gazeta Prawna / Dziennik.pl)
BIASES
Security-framed dominance: coverage emphasizes violence and traffic blockades more prominently than the political demands and organizations behind the protestsPreference for highest casualty figures: Gazeta Prawna reports 30,000 protesters, a figure exceeding the dpa estimate of 20,000 cited by Dziennik.plLimited contextualization of AfD positions on Poland and the EU: the party's regional ambitions are reported without substantive analysis of implications for bilateral relations
PORTUGALDOMINANT ANGLE
Lisbon gauges the scale of Germany's political fracture: an AfD congress held despite tens of thousands of protesters and confrontations with police.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Between 20,000 and 31,000 protesters according to local police (SAPO Notícias), or 25,000 according to Observador, attempted to block the congress in Erfurt without succeeding
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as AfD co-chairs without internal opposition at the congress, which gathered approximately 600 delegates
- •Thuringia police anticipated up to 2,500 far-left activists prepared for confrontation; they deployed pepper gas and batons without making arrests
BIASES
Event framing: the two sources prioritize the narrative of confrontations and logistical proceedings, without analysis of the AfD's programmatic positionsPreference for official figures: police estimates are systematically cited first, estimates from protest organizers are absentLimited electoral context: the AfD's dominance in polls is mentioned without detailed figures or comparative historical perspective
QATARSTATEDOMINANT ANGLE
Doha views the Erfurt anti-AfD mobilization through the lens of grassroots resistance, emphasizing demonstrator voices and anti-extremist framing over the far-right party's substantive congress proceedings.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Approximately 20,000 protesters converged in Erfurt according to German police, who counted over 200 buses of demonstrators (Al Jazeera)
- •Georg Becker from Widersetzen stated to Reuters: 'Extremism is rising in Germany,' a framing that anchors the protest blockade narrative
- •Carsten Brzeski (ING) warns in Gulf Times that Merz government economic shortfalls could create conditions favorable to far-right expansion amid German growth rates of 0.4 percent annually
BIASES
Anti-extremist framing emphasis: protester language and anti-extremism terminology are relayed without analytical distance by Al JazeeraPreference for grassroots mobilization narratives: coverage space granted to congress opponents far exceeds space devoted to AfD programmatic positionsMarginal internal congress coverage: party resolutions, leadership speeches, and policy direction remain largely absent from Qatari media treatment
SINGAPOREDOMINANT ANGLE
Singapore assesses the Erfurt congress as a test of German democratic institutions, weighing AfD leadership reelection, street mobilization, and federal security concerns.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Police estimated 15,000 demonstrators at the Erfurt AfD congress on July 4-5, 2026, according to the Straits Times and Channel News Asia.
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as AfD co-chairs; the party now leads national polls ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives.
- •Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on July 5 that the government is considering restricting access to classified information if the AfD enters a regional government in Saxony-Anhalt.
BIASES
Democratic-centered framing: articles systematically present the AfD's rise through the lens of threat to liberal values, substantially adopting the language of party opponents.Preference for institutional and protest voices: AfD statements receive less coverage and development than declarations from protesters or the federal government.Thin program coverage: concrete policy proposals and AfD voter sociology receive limited analysis, overshadowed by focus on protest and security dimensions.
SUISSEDOMINANT ANGLE
Switzerland gauges the limits of civic resistance as 30,000-50,000 antifascist protesters fail to prevent the AfD congress in Erfurt, where Weidel and Chrupalla secured reelection.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as AfD copresidents at the federal party congress in Erfurt on July 4-5, 2026.
- •Between 30,000 (police estimate) and 50,000 (organizers' estimate) protesters converged on Erfurt, blocking the A71 highway and major urban infrastructure.
- •During her speech, Alice Weidel declared: 'We are the new people's party in Germany,' with the party targeting regional elections in eastern Germany in September.
BIASES
Protest-focused framing: coverage emphasizes the scale and tactics of counterprotests rather than the AfD's policy positions or internal strategy.Event-narrative preference: reporting prioritizes accounts of blockades and street confrontations over analysis of structural factors driving the party's electoral growth.Limited AfD voice coverage: aside from Weidel's statement, the positions of party delegates and the party's internal dynamics remain underexplored.
UNITED STATESDOMINANT ANGLE
Washington reads the AfD Erfurt congress through polarized lenses: Fox News frames it as a conservative gathering blocked by far-left activism, while ABC News labels it a far-right movement confronted by democratic street protests.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Police counted over 30,000 demonstrators in Erfurt according to the Associated Press; the gatherings delayed the internal vote at the AfD congress
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla reelected as co-chairs; the AfD targets 40 percent or higher in Saxony-Anhalt's September 6, 2026 regional vote
- •Fox News designates the AfD as 'conservative' while ABC News calls it 'far-right'—divergent labels applied to the same event
BIASES
Conservative-centered framing (Fox News): characterizes the AfD as 'conservative' and protesters as 'far-left agitators', obscuring debate over the historical significance of the location chosenLiberal-centered framing (ABC News): emphasizes the 'far-right' label and the Nazi centennial coincidence, downplaying the party's arguments about democratic legitimacy and equal right to assemblyLimited German electoral context: the strategic stakes of the Saxony-Anhalt vote and traditional party positioning remain marginal in both outlets' coverage
AUSTRALIADOMINANT ANGLE
Canberra measures the AfD's rise through the lens of its own national experience with populism, recognizing identical mechanisms to those that propelled Pauline Hanson and One Nation onto the political landscape.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Approximately 15,000 protesters converged in Erfurt to block access roads to the AfD congress, according to police estimates reported by PerthNow
- •The AfD reelected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla; the party ranks at the top of national polling, ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives
- •According to Julianne Schultz in The Guardian Australia, trust in media hovers around 40 percent in most democracies, slightly higher in Australia
BIASES
Comparative-centered framing: the German event is systematically reported through the lens of Australia's own populist experience (Hanson and One Nation)Preference for structural analysis: greater attention given to systemic drivers of populism than to factual details of the Erfurt congressLimited coverage of protesters: the protest movement in Erfurt is mentioned briefly, without detailed analysis of its participants or demands
FRANCESTATEDOMINANT ANGLE
Paris reads a decisive moment in German politics at Erfurt: the AfD openly claims power while tens of thousands of Germans attempted to physically block the congress.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Police counted 31,000 protesters at Erfurt on July 4, with organizers of the "Resistance" alliance claiming 50,000; the AfD congress nonetheless began as scheduled.
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as co-chairs, with Weidel placing her most radical supporters in key leadership positions; the AfD approaches 30% in German polling.
- •Tino Chrupalla declared from the podium: 'We will govern, in one region first and all of Germany next,' targeting notably the Saxony-Anhalt region in September 2026.
BIASES
Historical memory framing: French coverage heavily emphasizes references to the 1933-1945 period, anchoring the mobilization in an antifascist register.Preference for protest voices: quotations from protesters are more numerous and developed than those from AfD delegates or leaders.Limited electoral analysis: the reasons why approximately 30% of respondents support the AfD receive limited in-depth examination in the coverage.
GERMANYSTATEDOMINANT ANGLE
Berlin deciphers the dual dynamics of the Erfurt AfD Congress: carefully managed internal professionalization set against unprecedented street resistance.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Weidel reelected with 81.3% of votes (versus 79.8% in 2024); Chrupalla reconfirmed with just 70.0% compared to 82.7% at the Essen congress, unopposed for both positions.
- •Highway A71 blocked by approximately 300 protesters, with 800 others conducting a sit-in at Gothaer Platz that disrupted the tramway network; police anticipated up to 50,000 opponents.
- •In Saxe-Anhalt, AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund, 35 years old, could secure an absolute majority in the September regional election according to polling reported by Tagesschau.
BIASES
Electoral framing dominant: coverage prioritizes the congress's strategic impact on upcoming regional elections over deeper programmatic analysis.Emphasis on professionalization narrative: media outlets stress the party's internal discipline, which reinforces the image of a well-managed political force in ascendancy.Limited coverage of protest demands: the motivations and messages of opponents receive minimal development compared to detailed treatment of logistical disruptions.
POLANDDOMINANT ANGLE
Warsaw assesses AfD's surge: 30,000 protesters in Erfurt failed to prevent the congress from proceeding on schedule, while the party openly proclaims ambitions to govern alone in eastern Länder.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •More than 30,000 protesters blocked access to Erfurt with 500 people occupying the A71 highway; police deployed pepper spray and journalists sustained injuries (Gazeta Prawna)
- •Tino Chrupalla declared during the congress: 'Perhaps we will soon be able to govern alone,' referring to September 2026 regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Dziennik.pl)
- •Despite blockades, approximately 540 of 600 authorized delegates were present by 5 a.m. and the congress started on schedule (Gazeta Prawna / Dziennik.pl)
BIASES
Security-framed dominance: coverage emphasizes violence and traffic blockades more prominently than the political demands and organizations behind the protestsPreference for highest casualty figures: Gazeta Prawna reports 30,000 protesters, a figure exceeding the dpa estimate of 20,000 cited by Dziennik.plLimited contextualization of AfD positions on Poland and the EU: the party's regional ambitions are reported without substantive analysis of implications for bilateral relations
PORTUGALDOMINANT ANGLE
Lisbon gauges the scale of Germany's political fracture: an AfD congress held despite tens of thousands of protesters and confrontations with police.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Between 20,000 and 31,000 protesters according to local police (SAPO Notícias), or 25,000 according to Observador, attempted to block the congress in Erfurt without succeeding
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as AfD co-chairs without internal opposition at the congress, which gathered approximately 600 delegates
- •Thuringia police anticipated up to 2,500 far-left activists prepared for confrontation; they deployed pepper gas and batons without making arrests
BIASES
Event framing: the two sources prioritize the narrative of confrontations and logistical proceedings, without analysis of the AfD's programmatic positionsPreference for official figures: police estimates are systematically cited first, estimates from protest organizers are absentLimited electoral context: the AfD's dominance in polls is mentioned without detailed figures or comparative historical perspective
QATARSTATEDOMINANT ANGLE
Doha views the Erfurt anti-AfD mobilization through the lens of grassroots resistance, emphasizing demonstrator voices and anti-extremist framing over the far-right party's substantive congress proceedings.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Approximately 20,000 protesters converged in Erfurt according to German police, who counted over 200 buses of demonstrators (Al Jazeera)
- •Georg Becker from Widersetzen stated to Reuters: 'Extremism is rising in Germany,' a framing that anchors the protest blockade narrative
- •Carsten Brzeski (ING) warns in Gulf Times that Merz government economic shortfalls could create conditions favorable to far-right expansion amid German growth rates of 0.4 percent annually
BIASES
Anti-extremist framing emphasis: protester language and anti-extremism terminology are relayed without analytical distance by Al JazeeraPreference for grassroots mobilization narratives: coverage space granted to congress opponents far exceeds space devoted to AfD programmatic positionsMarginal internal congress coverage: party resolutions, leadership speeches, and policy direction remain largely absent from Qatari media treatment
SINGAPOREDOMINANT ANGLE
Singapore assesses the Erfurt congress as a test of German democratic institutions, weighing AfD leadership reelection, street mobilization, and federal security concerns.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Police estimated 15,000 demonstrators at the Erfurt AfD congress on July 4-5, 2026, according to the Straits Times and Channel News Asia.
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as AfD co-chairs; the party now leads national polls ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives.
- •Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on July 5 that the government is considering restricting access to classified information if the AfD enters a regional government in Saxony-Anhalt.
BIASES
Democratic-centered framing: articles systematically present the AfD's rise through the lens of threat to liberal values, substantially adopting the language of party opponents.Preference for institutional and protest voices: AfD statements receive less coverage and development than declarations from protesters or the federal government.Thin program coverage: concrete policy proposals and AfD voter sociology receive limited analysis, overshadowed by focus on protest and security dimensions.
SUISSEDOMINANT ANGLE
Switzerland gauges the limits of civic resistance as 30,000-50,000 antifascist protesters fail to prevent the AfD congress in Erfurt, where Weidel and Chrupalla secured reelection.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were reelected as AfD copresidents at the federal party congress in Erfurt on July 4-5, 2026.
- •Between 30,000 (police estimate) and 50,000 (organizers' estimate) protesters converged on Erfurt, blocking the A71 highway and major urban infrastructure.
- •During her speech, Alice Weidel declared: 'We are the new people's party in Germany,' with the party targeting regional elections in eastern Germany in September.
BIASES
Protest-focused framing: coverage emphasizes the scale and tactics of counterprotests rather than the AfD's policy positions or internal strategy.Event-narrative preference: reporting prioritizes accounts of blockades and street confrontations over analysis of structural factors driving the party's electoral growth.Limited AfD voice coverage: aside from Weidel's statement, the positions of party delegates and the party's internal dynamics remain underexplored.
UNITED STATESDOMINANT ANGLE
Washington reads the AfD Erfurt congress through polarized lenses: Fox News frames it as a conservative gathering blocked by far-left activism, while ABC News labels it a far-right movement confronted by democratic street protests.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- •Police counted over 30,000 demonstrators in Erfurt according to the Associated Press; the gatherings delayed the internal vote at the AfD congress
- •Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla reelected as co-chairs; the AfD targets 40 percent or higher in Saxony-Anhalt's September 6, 2026 regional vote
- •Fox News designates the AfD as 'conservative' while ABC News calls it 'far-right'—divergent labels applied to the same event
BIASES
Conservative-centered framing (Fox News): characterizes the AfD as 'conservative' and protesters as 'far-left agitators', obscuring debate over the historical significance of the location chosenLiberal-centered framing (ABC News): emphasizes the 'far-right' label and the Nazi centennial coincidence, downplaying the party's arguments about democratic legitimacy and equal right to assemblyLimited German electoral context: the strategic stakes of the Saxony-Anhalt vote and traditional party positioning remain marginal in both outlets' coverage
CROSS-PERSPECTIVE ANALYSIS
CROSS-ANALYSIS
CONSENSUS POINTS
- 1Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were re-elected as co-chairs of the AfD at the federal congress in Erfurt on July 4-5, 2026, unopposed for both positions.
- 2Tens of thousands of protesters converged on Erfurt to attempt to physically block access to the congress, notably by occupying the A71 motorway.
- 3The congress nevertheless began at the scheduled time despite the blockades, with nearly all delegates present from the start of proceedings.
- 4Police resorted to force (pepper spray, batons) against the blockaders; journalists were injured during the clashes.
- 5The AfD displays high scores in national polls, ahead of Chancellor Merz's conservatives, and aims for its first regional governance in eastern Germany in the September 2026 elections.
FRAMING DIFFERENCES
Scale of mobilization
Estimates vary threefold depending on the source: 15,000 people according to police as reported by Australian and Singaporean media, up to 50,000 according to organizers as reported by Switzerland and France. This divergence reflects the usual difference between police figures and organizer figures, amplified by the symbolic stakes of the event.
Frame this way
Frame the opposite
Political characterization of the AfD
Nearly all foreign perspectives characterize the AfD as far-right. Fox News (United States) is an exception, presenting it as a conservative party blocked by far-left agitators, diverging from ABC News' coverage of the same event.
Frame this way
Frame the opposite
Framing of the protest
France and Qatar relay the anti-fascist framing of the protesters with strong historical resonance (references to the Nazi period), giving more space to protesters than delegates. Poland and Portugal prioritize the security narrative of the blockades without political analysis of motivations.
Frame this way
Frame the opposite
Structural causes of the AfD's rise
Qatar explicitly contextualizes the AfD's progression through economic factors (German growth at 0.4% according to Carsten Brzeski, ING) and mistrust of the media. Australia invokes the systemic drivers of populism. Most other perspectives remain event-focused.
Frame this way
Frame the opposite
Federal government response
Singapore is the only perspective covering Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' statement considering restricting access to classified information if the AfD forms a regional government in Saxony-Anhalt in September 2026.
Frame this way
Frame the opposite
GEOPOLITICAL CLUSTERS
European neighbors — event coverage
Shared narrative
These perspectives, rooted in Germany's immediate geography, share a detailed narrative of the event: protester numbers, congress proceedings, statements from AfD leaders on regional government ambitions. Germany emphasizes the party's internal professionalization and electoral stakes; France highlights the historical dimension; Switzerland and Poland adopt a factual or security-focused framework.
English-speakers — analytical distance
Shared narrative
These perspectives treat the event with distance, placing it within a broader comparative or institutional frame: parallel with Australian national populism (Hanson/One Nation), ideological media divide characteristic of the United States (Fox vs ABC), or a test of German democratic institutions according to Singapore.
Protest-centered and economic framing
Shared narrative
These perspectives give more space to anti-fascist protest actors and mention economic or historical factors that, according to them, explain the popular mobilization. Qatar adds explicit economic analysis; France anchors strong historical memory.
OMISSIONS ANALYSIS
GermanyOmitted topics
Structural economic context cited by economists (0.4% growth, media distrust)Defense Minister Pistorius' statement on restricting access to classified information
Highlighted by
AustraliaOmitted topics
Internal congress scores (Weidel 81.3%, Chrupalla 70% — notable decline)Specific regional government ambitions (Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania)Journalists injured during clashes
Highlighted by
QatarOmitted topics
Internal AfD dynamics (voting scores, relative weakening of Chrupalla)Specific regional electoral data (candidate Ulrich Siegmund in Saxony-Anhalt)
Highlighted by
GEOPOLITICAL CONTEXT
The Erfurt congress of July 4-5, 2026 illustrates growing polarization in German society around the AfD, whose poll scores hover around 30% and which targets its first victory in an East German state in September 2026. This dynamic unfolds within a broader European context of populist formation growth, fueled by sluggish economic growth, mistrust of media and traditional institutions, and frustrations linked to migration policies. The mass mobilization in Erfurt — between 15,000 and 50,000 people depending on the source — reflects significant civil resistance without succeeding in disrupting the congress. The international dimension of the event is underscored by the diversity of framings: anti-fascist rhetoric (France, Qatar), institutional caution (Singapore, Germany), and nationally-specific ideological interpretations (United States, Australia).
AI-powered analysis