Martin Blessing, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s personal representative for investment promotion and former Commerzbank CEO, has stated that foreign investors are far more concerned by left-wing debates on expropriation and property rights than by rising support for the AfD.
In an interview with Handelsblatt, Blessing said: “Investors react far more sensitively to debates about interventions in property rights, such as expropriation demands in the housing market, than to high poll ratings for the AfD.”
He noted that discussions with international investors barely mention possible AfD successes in upcoming state elections in eastern Germany.
Blessing, appointed by Merz in September 2025 to attract foreign capital, added that many investors view Germany more positively than Germans do themselves.
He pointed to Austria, where the FPÖ participates in several state governments “without the economic situation having deteriorated as a result”.
The investment envoy highlighted the upcoming Berlin state election, where demands for expropriations of large housing companies by The Left (Die Linke) and parts of the Greens continue to feature prominently.
Such debates, he argued, create greater uncertainty for investors than AfD polling strength.
Blessing’s comments come as Germany struggles to attract foreign direct investment amid high energy costs, bureaucracy and political polarisation.
They also challenge the narrative that the AfD represents the main risk factor for the German economy and worry about the extreme exclusion of the party, causing more left-leaning dominance.
Chancellor Merz’s government continues to rule out any cooperation with the AfD while pursuing policies aimed at improving Germany’s attractiveness as an investment location.