institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper IE RAS No 35, 2026 «The Russian Factor in Germany’s State Elections: From the Regional Agenda to Federal Politics»
- 21 September 2026
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 35, 2026 «The Russian Factor in Germany’s State Elections: From the Regional Agenda to Federal Politics» (in Russian) by Vladislav Belov, Candidate of Sciences (Economics), Board Member, Head of the Department for Countries Studies, Head of the Center for German Studies, Institute of Europe (RAS).
The analytical paper examines the role of the Russian factor in Germany’s 2026 state elections and its relationship with the federal political agenda. It analyses the positions of German political parties on Russia, the conflict in Ukraine, sanctions, energy cooperation and security issues. Particular attention is paid to the specific political landscape of Eastern Germany, the policies of the AfD and BSW, the debate over Nord Stream, and the impact of Russia-related issues on the confrontation between Friedrich Merz’s government and the opposition. The paper also considers new elements of unofficial Russian-German dialogue and draws conclusions for Russia’s policy towards Germany.
