Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on citizens to actively stand up for democracy at an event in Berlin. According to the DPA news agency, her appeal comes a week before the 6 September state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, in which polls show the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) holding a significant lead.

Merkel emphasized that the majority of the population does not vote for this party, but she warned that the movement is becoming a nationwide phenomenon. Indeed, it is achieving success not only in the eastern federal states but also in the west.

According to the former chancellor, the AfD has managed to "dominate all our discussions from morning to night", and as a result, voters are losing sight of the other parties' platforms.

(max)