Germany's New Strategy Treats Far-Right Extremism as Urgent Priority

Germany's government has added fighting racist and far-right violence to its official development strategy—treating it equally with climate and budget goals. This matters because the far-right AfD party now has one-fifth of voter support. Rather than new laws, the strategy directs government agencies and programs to address the economic struggles fueling far-right appeal. Chancellor Merz is betting that tackling real grievances can slow extremism's rise.