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〈Program Overview〉
"Breaking News Commentary! Key Points of the News," this time the theme is "The Rise of the AfD: What's Happening in Germany?" Our guest is Marai Mentlein, a writer originally from Germany and currently residing in Japan.

In the parliamentary elections held on September 6th in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the "Alternative for Germany (AfD)" became the largest party with 43.8% of the vote. Voter turnout surged from approximately 60% in the previous election to 78%.

We'll discuss voters' dissatisfaction with existing parties, the strategy of AfD state premier candidate Sigmund, who made extensive use of TikTok, the expansion of support among younger generations, the "West Germany vs. East Germany" structure that still persists 35 years after reunification, and the feeling of "not being able to express one's own opinion" that emerged from talking with AfD supporters. We discussed the current state of German society, from negotiations with the left-wing populist party BSW to the fate of the "firewall" where various parties refuse to cooperate with the AfD.

*This video was recorded on September 18, 2026.

Table of Contents
00:00 Opening
00:52 How did they react to the parliamentary election results?
02:17 Trends in AfD support in former West Germany
03:28 How is the AfD different from the existing CDU party?
06:55 What kind of people has the AfD gained support from?
09:02 German citizens' dissatisfaction with existing political parties
14:56 Sigmund's approach to the people
19:32 The AfD's growing young support base
22:42 The current political climate spreading in Germany
27:09 The AfD's questioning of the role of public broadcasting
29:24 The possibility of the AfD taking on state government roles
32:54 Can the "firewall" be maintained with the expansion of AfD support?
36:02 What Japan should learn from German politics
Guests
Marai Mentlein | Translator, interpreter, and freelance writer
Born in 1983 in Kiel, a port city in northern Germany. He studied at Himeji Shikisai High School and Waseda University. He has lived in Japan since 2008 after graduating from the University of Bonn. He has appeared on NHK's German language program, among others. Since the end of 2015, he has been a producer at TV Tokyo's German branch. He also serves as a commentator on TV Asahi's "Wide! Scramble." He works extensively in translation, interpreting, writing, and program production, and describes himself as "professionally German."

〈MC〉
・Ryu Daniel Oda｜Bungei Shunju PLUS Editorial Department
Born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1998. Joined Bungei Shunju Ltd. in April 2022 and was assigned to the "Shukan Bunshun" editorial department. In July 2024, he moved to the "Bunshun Online" editorial department, and in December of the same year, to the "Bungei Shunju PLUS" editorial department. He is half British and half Japanese, and a fan of YMO and Denki Groove.

#AfD #Germany #GermanPolitics #Populism #BungeiShunju #BungeiShunjuPLUS