German civil society mobilizes against far-right threats ahead of Saxony-Anhalt election

With Saxony-Anhalt heading to the polls on September 6, Germany's civil society organizations are sounding the alarm about an increasingly hostile environment for activists, migrants, and democratic institutions. Trade unions, churches, and human rights advocates warn that the surge in far-right activity is not only an electoral concern — it is reshaping everyday safety for those working against extremism.

Activists face physical danger

Felix Pankonin, a project director for political education and Jewish history at a civic center in Zittau, Saxony, describes a near-constant atmosphere of intimidation: having all windows and doors locked and monitored, motorcycles vandalized, and threats against his animals. Most recently, his partner was physically attacked. Keerthana Kuperan of DaMOst — the umbrella network of migrant organizations in eastern Germany — reports that security protocols have become standard practice: after 6pm nobody stays in the office alone, and when hanging posters in rural areas, security structures are set up first.

Migration as a political wedge

Kuperan notes that the AfD's relentless focus on migration — a policy topic with particular resonance in Saxony-Anhalt, a state with a low proportion of foreign-born residents — has shifted the political landscape rightward even where the underlying reality does not justify the alarm. Democratic networks are losing funding and staff as the debate normalizes attitudes once considered fringe.

The scale of mobilization

Germany witnessed what became the largest protest wave in its post-war history: over three million participants across more than 1,200 demonstrations nationwide between late 2023 and June 2024. Despite this mobilization, the hostile environment for civil society actors has not eased. The election in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6 is widely seen as a bellwether for democratic resilience as the far right continues to gain ground.