The Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) is an important political force that arose after the 2008 financial crisis in the EU, in response to Angela Merkel’s policy of helping Greece and other financially struggling countries. The AfD is a far-right party that often engages in populist rhetoric about immigration and nationalism. The party has capitalized on widespread discontent with Merkel’s policies, changing its focus from the financial crisis to the refugee crisis post-2015. The AfD is highly popular in East Germany, where Angela Merkel was raised. Marton notes that, while Merkel constantly tried to counter the far-right discourse of the AfD, she ultimately failed to connect and empathize with the people whose discontent the AfD was capitalizing on.

The Berlin Wall divided East and West Germany and East and West Berlin. It was erected in 1961, and it was taken down in 1989, at the end of the Cold War. The fall of the wall propelled Merkel into the political arena, shaping her commitment to democratic values and European unity.