AfD on the rise: change of power in Neu-Ulm before the local elections in 2026?

AfD on the rise: change of power in Neu-Ulm before the local elections in 2026?

Things are getting exciting in the Neu-Ulm district: The AfD has announced that it will enter the race with fresh boldness in the local elections in March 2026. Franz Schmid, the district chairman, has already announced that the party will draw up a list for both the district council and in at least three municipalities, including candidates for mayor. Here is the unclear list a sign of the impending political changes in the district.

The AfD has always received around 20 percent of the vote in recent elections, and the possibility that party representatives will shape local politics and perhaps even conquer a town hall hangs like a shadow over the coming election campaign.

Assessment of the voter situation

A look at the election results of the last ten years shows that the AfD achieved varying share of votes in the Ulm and Neu-Ulm region. According to an analysis by the Distribution of votes The party achieved 9.84 percent in the 2024 EU elections in Ulm, while the city of Neu-Ulm got 12.6 percent. In the Neu-Ulm district, their share was quite decent at 15.8 percent.

A notable phenomenon is the decline in AfD votes between 2016 and 2021, followed by an upswing that has been observed since 2020. This trend appears to be closely linked to crises such as the coronavirus pandemic, the Ukraine war and inflation, which act as amplifying factors for the rise of right-wing populist parties.

Urban-rural difference

It is also striking that there is an urban-rural divide, with more votes for the AfD tending to be cast in rural areas than in urban environments. The Neu-Ulm district appears to be a stronghold, while Ulm has completely different challenges: the AfD results there are among the lowest in the country, and the party is having difficulty building a solid base, as can be seen in a local council election with only 5.13 percent in Ulm.

The general conditions indicate that various factors such as eligibility and voter turnout can also influence the AfD's chances - a high voter turnout does not necessarily mean that this has to be negative for the right-wing party. Current polls show an astonishing poll number for the AfD in the federal election of 23.2%, which is a significant number in the political landscape.

Overall, it can be said that the signs for the AfD in Neu-Ulm bring with them both opportunities and challenges. It remains to be seen whether the planned election campaign will be successful and how much influence the party can actually have on politics in the district. The political climate has changed significantly in recent years - and the coming elections could show whether the AfD remains a significant player.