Berlin, Germany – A snap election, triggered by the collapse of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's unpopular "traffic light" coalition last year, resulted in a victory for the center-right Union parties (CDU/CSU), which secured approximately 28.52% of the vote.
The nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured second place with around 20.8%, marking their highest electoral result since the party's founding over a decade ago.
Scholz's Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) would drop to third place with 16.41% of the vote, marking its worst performance since World War II. The Greens secured fourth place with 11.61%, while the libertarian Free Democratic Party (FDP) managed only 4.3%, falling short of the 5% threshold required to gain seats in the Bundestag.
However, the most surprising outcome of the election was the resurgence of Die Linke—the successor to East Germany’s communist party—which secured fifth place with over 8.77% of the vote.
Just a few months earlier, Die Linke was in terminal decline. In early December, the party was polling at an all time low of 2.5%.
The party suffered a major setback in October 2023 when Sahra Wagenknecht, one of its most recognizable figures, left to form her own left-wing populist party (BSW). Her departure was largely driven by ideological differences over immigration and foreign policy.
Wagenknecht’s BSW would go on to adopt positions against mass immigration and Germany's support for the United State's proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Despite polling higher earlier in the year, BSW fell just short of the 5% threshold, securing only 4.97% of the vote and failing to enter the Bundestag.
Die Linke's resurgence is a reaction to the AfD's growing influence and normalization in German politics, as well as the embrace of AfD by Elon Musk and the Trump administration.
A key moment in Die Linke’s resurgence came from a two-minute speech by Heidi Reichinnek, the party’s parliamentary group leader, which quickly went viral.
She lashed out at CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, accusing him of weakening Germany’s postwar “firewall” against nationalist parties like the AfD by seeking their support to pass immigration measures through the Bundestag.
“And that’s the damn problem,” Reichinnek declared. “This happened just two days after we commemorated the liberation of Auschwitz—two days after honoring the murdered and tormented. Now, you’re collaborating with those who uphold the same ideology.”
Her message apparently struck a chord, particularly among young voters. Exit polls showed Die Linke winning 27% of the vote among 18- to 24-year-olds, while the AfD came in second with 21%.
The speech catapulted Reichinnek from relative obscurity to nationwide prominence. Her social media following has since soared, earning her the nickname “the Queen of TikTok” among party colleagues.
Beyond her rhetoric, Reichinnek’s appearance has sparked discussion in Germany’s traditionally strait-laced Bundestag, particularly the tattoos that cover her left arm. One of the most notable depicts Rosa Luxemburg, the Jewish revolutionary who led Germany’s post-World War I communist uprising.
Some Die Linke members leaned even harder into the party’s anti-fascist stance. One of Die Linke’s most prominent Bundestag members, Gregor Gysi—who is part Jewish—posted a video of himself on social media wearing a black "Antifa" balaclava.
In the video, he urged people to “get active now” ahead of the elections in Germany. Embroidered in red thread on the balaclava was "161," a numerical code used by Antifa supporters. The numbers correspond to the letters AFA in the alphabet, an abbreviation for "Antifascist Action."
Member of the Bundestag for the "Die Linke" party wearing a black "Antifa" balaclava calling on people to "get active now" ahead of the elections in Germany. Source Disclose.tv
The resurgence of Die Linke was further propelled by backlash against Elon Musk and the Trump administration’s overt support for the AfD, which was widely perceived as foreign billionaires meddling in Germany’s snap elections.
Elon Musk publicly endorsed the AfD on December 20, 2024, declaring on X/Twitter, "Only the AfD can save Germany." His endorsement came just days after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a motion of no confidence on December 16, leading President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to dissolve the Bundestag and call for snap elections on February 23, 2025.
Musk deepened his involvement in the German election by publishing an op-ed in Welt am Sonntag on December 28, reaffirming his support for the AfD.
He also conducted a live interview on X/Twitter with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, during which Weidel controversially claimed that former NSDAP Chancellor Adolf Hitler was a communist. Additionally, Musk made a surprise virtual appearance at an AfD campaign rally in Halle, Germany, where he criticized the country's emphasis on historical guilt.
Musk was not the only member of the Trump Administration to embrace the AfD. Vice President J.D Vance criticized the German establishment for excluding parties like the AfD during his speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 14th stating that there's "no place for 'firewalls'" in a democracy. He would also subsequently meet with Weidel in Munich.
Clara Bünger, a Bundestag member from Die Linke, condemned Musk’s involvement, calling it “a blatant attempt to influence our democratic institutions.” She further warned, “This interference is particularly alarming given Tesla’s significant presence near Berlin, raising serious ethical concerns about his business interests in Germany.”
“Musk’s actions not only compromise political sovereignty but also embolden extremist ideologies that pose a direct threat to the fabric of our society.”
Die Linke also campaigned on a "no billionaires" policy, reinforcing its opposition to Musk's influence in the German elections. Two weeks before the vote, the party unveiled a new tax plan that would cut the wealth of billionaires in half within a decade.
When introducing the proposal, co-leader van Aken criticized the Trump administration, stating, "The new government consists of the super-rich and the right, who are doing everything to protect their wealth and power."
According to Public Citizen, the combined net worth of Trump's top appointees is estimated to exceed $460 billion, with Elon Musk alone accounting for $400 billion. Even without Musk, Trump's 2025 cabinet and senior officials represent the wealthiest administration in U.S. history.
Looking at the polling data, it appears that the endorsements from Musk and Vance did little to boost the AfD’s performance in the snap election.
Before Musk’s endorsement on December 20, the AfD was polling at 19.5%, a figure closely aligned with the roughly 20.8% they ultimately secured in the election. Meanwhile, Die Linke went from polling at 2.5% in the same poll, to securing 8.7% of the vote.
Musk’s attempt to boost the AfD, only to unintentionally energize Die Linke, is unsurprising given the unpopularity of the Trump administration in Germany.
A poll conducted ahead of the U.S. election in November found that 74% of Germans viewed former Vice President Kamala Harris as the more compelling candidate, while only 11% favored President Donald Trump.
Musk’s endorsement of the AfD also came at a significant cost to Tesla, which experienced a 59% drop in German electric vehicle sales in January—despite Germany being home to Tesla’s only European factory.
This highlights the potential risks for European nationalist movements in aligning with Musk and the Trump administration, as their rhetorical support offers minimal tangible benefits while provoking strong backlash from antifascist elements within their respective countries.
Antifa has a significant presence in Germany due to the extensive denazification efforts imposed by the United States following World War II.
In February 2023, German Antifa extremists were implicated in an infamous hammer attack against Hungarian nationalists in Budapest. Several of the perpetrators received prison sentences in Hungary for their involvement.
However, an Italian extremist involved in the incident secured a seat in the 2024 European Parliament elections, gaining immunity and subsequently being released from prison.
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