As Germany prepares for its upcoming election, supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is increasingly shedding its former stigma.

For Susanne, a nursery teacher in Berlin, the decision is clear: she will vote for the far-right populist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), in the upcoming snap federal elections on February 23. This election follows the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition government in November. The coalition, known as the “traffic light alliance,” consisted of Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Susanne, who is in her 50s and requested anonymity, explained that she felt alienated by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) due to their pro-vaccine stance during the COVID-19 pandemic. She believes the AfD is the “only party doing something different on the issues that matter in our daily lives.”

Similarly, Eva Mueller, a 50-year-old mother of two and careers coach in Berlin, plans to support the AfD. “I live in a part of Berlin where around 80% of the population has a migration background, and I have no problem with that,” she said. “But the migration policy is ineffective, and the AfD isn’t about hating foreigners or expelling them all. They are concerned about integration being impossible if there are too many people coming in.”

Since its founding in 2013, several AfD chapters have been labeled “right-wing extremists” by German intelligence authorities. However, last week in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, a significant shift occurred when CDU leader Friedrich Merz—who is tipped to become Germany’s new chancellor—proposed a tougher migration policy, known as the five-point plan. The proposal passed with the support of the AfD. Though the law was ultimately rejected by the Bundestag on January 31, Merz’s decision to work with the AfD marked a break with a long-standing political taboo against cooperating with the far-right.

The move sparked widespread public and political backlash. Thousands of protesters gathered outside the CDU headquarters in Berlin, and both former Chancellor Angela Merkel and Scholz criticized Merz, accusing him of making an “unforgivable mistake.”

Germany remains shaken by two deadly attacks within a span of weeks, including a January 22 attack in Bavaria that left seven people dead. The attackers had sought asylum in Germany, further stoking concerns about immigration and security. Additionally, voter dissatisfaction with the handling of the war in Ukraine and rising living costs is also high, analysts note.

As Germany heads toward its federal elections, the shifting political dynamics suggest a growing acceptance of far-right rhetoric among some voters, particularly those disillusioned by the mainstream parties’ handling of issues like migration and economic challenges.