Leading German economists have issued a scathing assessment of the Alternative für Deutschland's proposals for rescuing the country's automotive sector, calling the party's economic platform "blatantly incompetent" as it gains ground ahead of federal elections.
The criticism, reported by Der Spiegel, comes as the AfD positions itself as the defender of Germany's industrial heritage while proposing to reverse the transition to electric vehicles and reinvest in combustion engine technology.
Economic experts note the proposals would leave German manufacturers technologically behind Chinese and American competitors who have invested billions in battery and software development. The AfD platform calls for abandoning EU emissions targets and restoring state subsidies for diesel production—measures economists say would isolate German industry from global markets increasingly demanding zero-emission vehicles.
"These are not serious policy proposals," one economist told Der Spiegel. "They ignore market realities, international competition, and the technological trajectory of the entire automotive sector."
The critique highlights a fundamental tension in German politics: the AfD's rising popularity among industrial workers concerned about job losses, versus the economic consensus that the country's automotive future depends on successfully navigating the electric transition. Germany's auto sector employs over 800,000 people directly and supports millions more jobs in the supply chain.
Major manufacturers including Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have already committed more than €60 billion to electric vehicle development. Industry representatives have not publicly commented on the AfD proposals, but company strategies assume continued movement toward electrification regardless of political developments.
The economic criticism comes as the AfD polls at historically high levels in Saxony, Thuringia, and other eastern Länder where automotive manufacturing represents a significant share of employment. Party leaders argue that economists are out of touch with workers facing factory closures and restructuring.
In Germany, as elsewhere in Europe, consensus takes time—but once built, it lasts. The question facing the automotive sector is whether political pressure from the populist right can disrupt the industry's carefully constructed transition strategy, or whether economic realities will ultimately prevail over electoral appeals.
