Germany - February 20, 2025 As Germany prepares to elect a new government on Sunday, immigration has emerged as the defining issue. A decade after former Chancellor Angela Merkel's confident declaration that Germany could manage the refugee crisis, the tone among her potential successors has shifted dramatically. Two recent fatal attacks, one in Magdeburg before Christmas and another in Munich last week, carried out by migrants with differing motives, have reignited the debate. In Dresden, the capital of Saxony and a stronghold for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), anti-foreigner sentiment is particularly pronounced. The party, which has seen significant electoral growth in the region, is running nearly neck-and-neck with the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Saxony, despite the Union's healthy lead in national polls. "The AfD is very much in tune with people's wishes when it comes to right-wing radicalism. And I mean, a lot of people have been really against refugees for years, ever since the massive waves of refugees came along, and the AfD is really in tune with that. And that's basically the focus of people's minds," said one Dresden resident. Another local echoed the concerns, "I'm not against foreigners. But there are so many now that it's just impossible to cope. They're no longer being integrated, there are just too many. You can't look after the people enough." The AfD is on track to secure around 34 percent of the vote in Saxony and 20 percent nationally, making it a formidable force. Excluding the party from coalition-building talks after the election could further complicate the political landscape. The Social Democrats, CDU, and Greens have vastly different priorities, and forming a coalition with a majority in the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, may prove to be the election's greatest challenge. As Germany heads to the polls, the outcome will not only determine the country's next government but also test its ability to navigate deep political divisions and rising populism. The video shows: FILE: Berlin, Germany - March 16, 2022 1. Reichstag building, national flags of Germany, flag of European Union FILE: Berlin, Germany - Sept 19, 2021 2. Cruise ship sailing on river, Reichstag building 3. National flag of Germany Dresden, Germany - Feb 20, 2025 4. Aerial shot of cityscape 5. Various of statues 6. Various of posters of electoral candidates 7. Pedestrians 8. SOUNDBITE (German) local resident (name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 9): "The AfD is very much in tune with people's wishes when it comes to right-wing radicalism. And I mean, a lot of people have been really against refugees for years, ever since the massive waves of refugees came along, and the AfD is really in tune with that. And that's basically the focus of people's minds." ++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 9. Posters of electoral candidates ++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ 10. SOUNDBITE (German) local resident (name not given): "I'm not against foreigners or anything. Not at all. But there are so many now that it's just impossible to cope. They're no longer being integrated, there are just too many. You can't look after the people enough." 11. Posters of electoral candidates, buildings 12. Various of trams moving, traffic, pedestrians FILE: Piding, Germany - September 2024 13. Various of traffic at border crossing 14. Various of police officers inspecting vehicles [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]