Europe is facing an unprecedented political upheaval after far-right forces scored historic victories and openly changed course on Russia and the war in Ukraine. As of 5:25 a.m. Bulgarian time on September 7, 2026, the situation in Germany and France has marked a radical turn that threatens to redraw the geopolitical map of the continent.
Germany: First victory for the far-right since World War II
For the first time since the end of World War II, an ultra-right party has won elections in Germany. According to official data and exit polls published by the global news agency Reuters (reuters.com), the "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) party achieved a historic landslide victory in the regional elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The party collected an impressive 44% of the vote, inflicting a heavy defeat on Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives. AfD leaders have already openly declared that this is a springboard to national power and the chancellorship in the federal elections.
Secret meetings with "Gazprom" and plans for "Nord Stream"
In parallel with the election triumph, a large-scale scandal erupted in Germany after the influential economic publication Financial Times (ft.com) revealed details of backstage negotiations with Moscow. The official representative of the AfD, Markus Frohnmeier, met in person with the head of the Russian energy giant "Gazprom" Alexei Miller during the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.
According to the Financial Times, the main topic of the talks was the full resumption of Russian gas supplies and the commissioning of the damaged "Nord Stream" gas pipeline. The AfD argues for its actions with the severe economic crisis in Germany and the need for cheap energy, despite the current EU sanctions.
France: Jordan Bardella insists that Ukraine pay for European aid
The political pressure on Kiev is also increasing from Paris. The leader of the French far-right and chairman of the "National Rally" party, Jordan Bardella, said that Ukraine should start paying for the aid it receives from Europe. In an interview with the business media Bloomberg (bloomberg.com), the 30-year-old politician, who is tipped to become France's future prime minister if Marine Le Pen wins, demanded that unconditional support for Kiev be replaced by "transactional relations".
Bardella insists that France receive financial guarantees or returns for its military aid, proposing that Ukraine be obliged to buy weapons exclusively from European defense companies. His position strongly resembles Donald Trump's isolationist approach in the United States and threatens the current French strategy, built by President Emmanuel Macron.