Surging Energy Costs Fuel Far-Right Rise as AfD Demands Return to Russian Gas

Surging fuel prices and the U.S.-Israel war on Iran drive AfD gains in Germany. The far-right party pushes for a return to Russian energy imports for economic relief.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 31, 2026, 8:05 AM EDT

Source: Reuters

nergy Crisis Becomes a Political Catalyst The German political landscape is undergoing a sharp shift as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) leverages a 15% spike in petrol prices to bolster its national standing. This surge, triggered by the month-long conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, has provided the far-right party with a potent economic narrative. In recent elections in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, the AfD secured approximately 20% of the vote, cementing its position as the nation's second-largest political force and signaling a departure from purely identity-based politics toward a focus on "energy sovereignty."

The Strategic Reversal on Russian Imports At the heart of the AfD’s current platform is a demand to reopen trade with Moscow for crude oil and natural gas. Before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia supplied over half of Germany's gas needs. While the current administration under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has successfully diversified suppliers—leaning on Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium—the AfD argues that these alternatives are prohibitively expensive. Party leaders contend that the German industrial model, historically built on cheap Russian energy, cannot survive the current price disparity with markets like China and the United States.

Economic Transformation and Voter Demographics The AfD's recent electoral success is notably driven by its expansion into younger and working-class demographics. By framing the energy crisis as an "everyday life" issue rather than an abstract geopolitical concern, the party has found fertile ground among manufacturers and automotive workers in Germany's southwest. Political analysts note that the narrative of "the economy first" is displacing traditional debates over immigration, as job losses mount and the country struggles to fully exit a two-year recession.

Opposition from the Governing Coalition The calls for a return to Russian energy have met fierce resistance from the mainstream Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Social Democrat partners. Critics argue that the AfD is acting as a mouthpiece for Russian narratives designed to break Moscow's international isolation. Members of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee have warned that increasing reliance on Russian gas would be "disastrous" for European security and would undermine the trust of Germany's transatlantic...