Germany’s U18 election, held ahead of the February 23 Federal elections, shows a notable shift in youth political preferences. Young voters are turning toward the fringes, with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the hard-left Die Linke seeing major gains.
From 2021 to 2025, the AfD nearly doubled its youth support, rising from 9% to 15.45%, while Die Linke surged from 11% to 20.84%.
On the flip side, the Greens, once dominant among young voters, took a significant hit, dropping from 31% to just 12%. The U18 elections, which ran from February 7 to 14, saw tens of thousands of young Germans voting in schools and youth centers, revealing the political mood of the younger generation.
The AfD found strong support in Eastern Germany, particularly in Thuringia and Brandenburg, where the party gained traction amid growing concerns over migration. Heather MacDonald, author of What is Behind the Rise of the AfD, suggests that rising violent incidents linked to non-EU migrants have fueled the AfD’s appeal. She argued that young Germans reject the establishment’s portrayal of the AfD as extremist, instead seeing it as a party focused on protecting German interests.
Die Linke, meanwhile, dominated in Berlin and Western Germany, particularly in states like Hessen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Berlin, appealing to young urban voters. This trend suggests a shift in political alignment, with both nationalist and socialist alternatives gaining ground at the expense of the Greens.
Despite the AfD’s strong showing in the East and Die Linke’s dominance in the West, the AfD struggled to make a significant impact in Western Germany. In the final U18 results, Die Linke emerged as the top party with 20.84%, while the AfD placed fourth at 15.45%, narrowly trailing the CDU/CSU at 15.74%.
However, as the February 23 election approaches, the U18 results may not fully reflect the broader political landscape. Current polling data from YouGov Deutschland shows the CDU/CSU leading with 27%. While the U18 election is symbolic for now, these youth trends could indicate a more radical shift in Germany’s political future if they continue.
