NEWS29 June 2026With the far-right Alternative for Germany leading in polls for national and state elections, institutions are facing up to proposed restrictions on academic freedom.ByDiana KwonDiana KwonView author publicationsSearch author on: PubMed Google ScholarOtto von Guericke University in Magdeburg is one of several universities in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt that could face reforms.Credit: Imago/Joko/AlamyScientists are raising the alarm about proposals from the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) that they say could severely limit academic freedoms at German universities and research institutes.The AfD is predicted to become comfortably the largest party in elections in two German states, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in September. Although most German parties currently have a policy not to enter into any coalition with the AfD at the state or national level, the AfD could form a government with a sufficient lead. The party is also currently leading in polls of voters at the national level.Education policy in Germany is almost entirely devolved to its 16 constituent states. In Saxony-Anhalt — where recent polls have seen the party’s support exceed 40% — the AfD laid out sweeping proposed reforms to the state’s university system in its election manifesto, in a response to what it sees as a “deep crisis” in German science.Published in April, the manifesto includes calls for “critical climate research”, the setting up of a state institute for “critical Islamic studies”, the creation of a chair in population studies to investigate the “dying out of our people”, and the abolition of gender studies. It also says that moves over the past two decades towards the “Anglo-Saxon” system of bachelor’s and master’s degrees have “completely destroyed the German university”, and proposes to reinstate German Diplom and Magister degrees (although both degrees are generally considered equivalent to a master’s in Germany, they are not widely recognized internationally).“I am confident that an honest debate about past mistakes and a strong AfD — whether at the state or federal level —will ensure that academic freedom, and consequently academic excellence, stand to benefit,” says Christoph Birghan, the AfD’s spokesperson on higher-education policy in the German national parliament.Can Germany rein in its academic bullying problem?The AfD’s plans have alarmed many in the scientific community, including some of the country’s most prominent academic organizations, such as the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), the association that represents 272 universities in Germany; and the German Research Foundation (DFG), the country’s largest research funder. “We are really concerned about this programme and the effects it may have on institutional autonomy and the openness of academic discourse,” says Walter Rosenthal, the president of the HRK.“The AfD’s election programme explicitly proposes restrictions on, or even the prohibition of, research in certain fields,” and constrains the mobility of researchers in and out of the state, says Bettina Rockenbach, president of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, which has its headquarters in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. “Such proposals represent not only a serious encroachment on academic freedom, but also a broader threat to the principles of open, international and independent research.”Building resilienceAcademic freedom is enshrined in the German constitution, which limits the ability for politicians to dictate what happens at universities. Yet many in the academic community are predicting that a state AfD government would use tactics such as cutting funding to programmes it considers ideologically driven, delaying the appointment of professors and blocking decisions made in nation-wide scientific committees.doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01496-7 Can Germany rein in its academic bullying problem?What Italy’s far-right election victory means for science What Orbán’s fall from power means for research around the world Far-right governments seek to cut billions of euros from research in Europe Far-right gains in European elections: what they mean for climate goalsSubjectsPoliticsFundingGovernmentLatest on:PoliticsFundingGovernmentJobs Chief Magazine EditorThe Chief Magazine Editor will be involved in shaping the strategic direction of Nature, including in digital media.London, New York or Washington DC - Hybrid working modelSpringer Nature LtdInterim Associate or Senior Editor, Nature EnergyJob Title: Interim Associate or Senior Editor, Nature Energy Fixed Term Contract, Full-Time Locations: London or Milan – Hybrid Work About Spri...London (Central), London (Greater) (GB)Springer Nature Ltd