Around 600 delegates attended the congress, where Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were re-elected as co-leaders. Demonstrators blocked roads, while police deployed additional forces and said they expected between 35,000 and 50,000 people over the weekend. The AfD, Germany’s largest opposition party after the 2025 federal election, campaigns on an anti-immigration, nationalist and Eurosceptic platform. Its relations with Russia have also drawn scrutiny: AfD politicians attended the St Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, while Chrupalla has questioned whether Russia poses an immediate threat to Germany. The event comes ahead of Saxony-Anhalt’s September 6 state election, where recent polls place the AfD above 40%. The vote will further test AfD support in eastern Germany and nationwide in the months ahead.