Targeted Infrastructure Spending Slows AfD Gains In Germany's Industrial Heartlands (socialeurope.eu)

• Infrastructure spending slows AfD vote growth
• Innovation funding still bypasses industrial heartlands
• Regional disparities persist despite targeted measures

"A study shows that targeted infrastructure investment in Germany's industrial regions facing transition pressures has dampened the rise of the far-right AfD party. However, innovation funding continues to bypass these same areas, risking long-term structural neglect. The findings highlight the political and economic stakes of regional development policy in Germany."