Scholz Enlists CEOs, Workers in Bid to Check Far-Right Surge

Chancellor makes rare foray on Thursday into eastern Germany
AfD is leading in polls ahead of regional votes in September

Olaf Scholz, center, during a tour of the EFW Elbe Flugzeugwerke aircraft plant in Dresden on Feb. 29.Photographer: Ebrahim Noroozi/Pool/Getty Images

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By Michael Nienaber

February 29, 2024 at 10:58 AM UTC

Updated on

February 29, 2024 at 12:46 PM UTC

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Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a rare foray deep into eastern Germany on Thursday as part of a push to check the rise of the far-right AfD ahead of three regional elections there in September.

Scholz has been trying to stitch together a broad pro-democracy alliance to push back against extremism and will hold discussions with workers and business leaders in Saxony. He’ll later host a townhall-style meeting with citizens in the state capital Dresden.