AfD Leader Alice Weidel (C) at the AfD party headquarters in Berlin after the German national election on Feb. 23, 2025. Michael Probst/AP Photo
Local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state and industrial heartland, have resulted in almost a tripling of votes for the conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, initial forecasts show.
The result is a key test of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition with the progressive Social Democrats (SPD) in his home state.
