Germany : Far-right party expected to win in eastern state elections
BERLIN – Germans head to the polls in two eastern states on Sunday, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) paving its path to win a state election. Such a victory would make the AfD the first far-right party to take the most seats in a German state parliament since World War II.
The Alternative for Germany is leading the polls with 30% in Thuringia. Meanwhile, in Saxony, the conservatives, typically referred to as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a centre-right party, are polling between 30% and 32%, resulting in a close contest between the two parties.
On the other hand, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and its coalition partners, an arrangement known as a “traffic light coalition,” namely the Green Party (centre-left) and the Free Democratic Party (centre-right), have been struggling in recent polls.
The AfD is officially classed as right-wing extremist in Thuringia. Its leader, Björn Höcke, has been convicted of intentionally using a Nazi slogan at political events.
The AfD is particularly strong in the former East Germany, where it has significant support. The domestic intelligence agency has placed the party’s branches in both Saxony and Thuringia under official surveillance, labelling them as “proven right-wing extremist” groups. Consequently, even if the AfD were to achieve a victory, it would not be able to form a government, as other political parties have publicly stated they will not collaborate with it to create a majority.
