Germany: The AfD expected to win Brandenburg’s election, adding pressure on Social Democrats
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to assume a second victory in Brandenburg’s election on Sunday, expanding thereby its gains in other eastern states this month.
Around 2.1 million people are registered to vote for a new state parliament in Brandenburg, which was governed by the Social Democrats (SPD) since reunification in 1990, and where Olaf Scholz himself has his constituency.
Consequently, the AfD’s win would be alarming for the German Chancellor and the Social Democrats as the federal elections are due to be held next year.
The AfD became the first far-right party to win a state election in Germany since WWII, in Thuringia, on Sept. 1 and was not far from securing the first place in Saxony, which was assumed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Although the far-right party is unlikely to govern because of polling short of a majority and other parties are refusing to collaborate, it seeks to capitalise on discontent stemming from disagreement within Chancellor Scholz’s three-party federal coalition.
