The far-right AfD is using opposition to renewable energy projects to gain support in two crucial state elections in eastern Germany on September 1.

The party, which is in first place in the polls in Thuringia and Saxony with around 30 percent of the vote, has made resistance to the expansion of wind energy a focus of its election campaign.

The AfD advocates stricter planning regulations for wind turbines, increased requirements for energy storage in renewable energy projects and the withdrawal of requirements that require the use of certain land areas for wind energy.

These proposals have resonated with rural communities frustrated with the federal government’s support for renewable energy, particularly in areas such as Saxony and Thuringia, where resistance to wind power is strong.

In villages like Chemnitz-Euba, more and more residents are supporting the AfD because they are concerned about the impact of wind turbines on property values ​​and the landscape.

“This is not about right or left. It is simply about a story that affects us all,” said Frank Stühler, chairman of the local initiative against wind turbines. Like many others, he wants to vote for the AfD for the first time.

Despite its rising popularity, the AfD is unlikely to form a government as other parties oppose coalitions with it. However, the party’s influence could change the mainstream discourse on wind energy and potentially delay or hinder the implementation of renewable projects.

This change could jeopardise the energy transition in Germany, as eastern German states such as Saxony and Thuringia are crucial for the expansion of wind power infrastructure due to their lower population density.

Pollsters and analysts warn that the growing influence of the AfD could have significant implications for energy policy.

“The success of the energy transition will be decided in the East. But it is precisely here that sensitive resistance has developed, which the AfD is increasingly mobilizing politically,” says Matthias Diermeier, researcher at the IW Cologne.

While the AfD continues to gain ground, the construction of wind turbines in Saxony and Thuringia is already lagging behind: In 2023, only 16 new turbines will be built here, out of a total of 745 that will be installed in all 16 federal states.

The AfD’s election manifesto in Saxony proposes a regulation that would require wind turbines to be built at a distance of ten times the height of the turbines from residential areas. The wind energy association argues that this regulation would significantly restrict new construction.

Since electricity and heating prices in eastern Germany are already 22 percent higher than in the west, the AfD’s argument that the expansion of renewable energies increases domestic energy costs is popular with many voters.

Even if the AfD remains in opposition, its influence could still shape the debate on wind energy, especially as the likely voter fragmentation in the upcoming elections could make the formation of stable governments more difficult.

The AfD’s decades-long efforts to change public opinion on energy policy are bearing fruit, and their success in the upcoming elections could have long-term implications for Germany’s renewable energy goals. “They’ve been working on this (to change the debate) for ten years, and we’re seeing this growing resistance among the population. The fact that they’re succeeding in doing this should definitely not be underestimated,” Diermeier added.

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