AfD Victory Reopens Debate on Germany’s National Interest

Geopolitical Futures' analysis argues Germany’s postwar stance—embodied in the Never Again ethos and a European-centered national interest—faces a regional challenge as the AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt with a nationalist tilt that favors closer ties to Russia. Friedman cautions this is only a single regional upset, not a wholesale realignment; lasting change would require deep shifts in German and Russian interests, and he does not currently expect such a pivot, despite the generational distance from earlier memories.