Anne-Sylvain Chastany

And so the alternative for Germany is really far right.

If you look at the spectrum in Europe, it has campaigned on mass deportation.

I mean, they use the term remigration in German.

It has connotation from the Third Reich.

So they have attracted some very far right elements in their party.

So Alternative for Germany has, over the past few years, really tried to get closer to the MAGA movement.

But we've seen a very big shift since the Iran war, actually, where, you know, the AFD is now really distancing itself from Trump.

Because, I mean, the Iran war is really hitting people's wallet here.

I mean, it has very concrete effect.

People see the price of fuel rising above two euros a liter.

I mean, you know, Germans love their cars.

And all of a sudden they see this and this is crazy.

And so the AfD was very quick in spotting that, actually.

And in the eastern side of the country, where there are elections very soon in September,

You have a deep-seated anti-American sentiment that's been there forever, you know, in former communist states.

And this message criticizing the Iran war and the Trump administration is actually a message that is tapping into this deep-seated anti-American sentiment and actually politically pays off.

Because Merz is taking the brunt of the population's criticism.

He promised to revive the economy and it hasn't happened at all.

They were hoping to get 1% growth this year.

And because of the Iran war, they're only expecting 0.5%.