Far-right German Alternative Party candidates' demises ignite theories and speculations

In the lead-up to the elections for district, municipal, and city councils, as well as some mayors, in North Rhine-Westphalia on 14 September, a series of seven deaths among candidates running for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has caused a stir.

Four of these deaths reportedly occurred in the space of just 13 days, with causes ranging from natural causes to suicide. The unfounded suspicions about these deaths have been spread widely on social networks, including some prominent figures, despite German police authorities ruling out any evidence of foul play in relation to any of the deaths.

Hundreds of posts suggesting that the deaths are suspicious have been identified on Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook, garnering tens of millions of views. British far-right activist Tommy Robinson has amplified the insinuation of the deaths being intentional, while Alice Weidel, the leader of AfD, shared a post describing the deaths as "statistically almost impossible."

The AfD party has seen significant success in recent elections. In February, the party came in second with 20.8% of the vote in the federal ballot, a record-breaking result for the party in a national election. The party also won its first German district council election in June 2023 and its first regional election in the state of Thuringia in September 2024.

However, the party's success has not been without controversy. In the past, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, endorsed the AfD party. More recently, the German intelligence agency suspended the AfD party's 'extremist' classification.

The spread of conspiracy theories about the deaths of AfD candidates has not been confined to social media. Protesters disrupted a live interview with AfD party leader Alice Weidel, with some calling for an investigation into the deaths.

Conservative and far-right media outlets have published news articles describing the deaths as "mysterious" or "unexpected." Elon Musk himself replied to a post about the deaths with a one-word remark: "Weird."

As the elections in North Rhine-Westphalia approach, it remains to be seen how the deaths of the seven AfD candidates will impact the race and the political landscape of the region. Voters will make their decisions on 14 September.

Far-right German Alternative Party candidates' demises ignite theories and speculations