Voters in Germany’s two eastern states are preparing to head to the polls in elections where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is anticipated to perform strongly. Recent polls indicate that the AfD is leading in Thuringia ahead of Sunday’s elections, while in Saxony, the party is in a tight race for first place with the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and its coalition partners are facing challenges, with their popularity waning in recent surveys. On Saturday, thousands protested in Thuringia’s capital, Erfurt, labeling the AfD as fascists, as the party calls for the expulsion of illegal migrants from Germany.
Polling stations in both states will open at 08:00 local time (06:00 GMT). In Thuringia, the AfD is expected to secure the position of largest party, while the SPD, along with its Green and Liberal partners, faces the possibility of losing all representation in the state parliament.
The AfD is officially classified as right-wing extremist in Thuringia, and its controversial regional leader has recently faced legal penalties related to the use of a Nazi slogan, which he claims was unintentional. In Saxony, the AfD is competing closely with the CDU for dominance.
Criticism of government handling of migration has intensified following a recent knife attack in western Germany, attributed to a Syrian asylum seeker and suspected Islamist, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
Even if the AfD emerges as the largest party in both regions, the likelihood of it gaining power remains uncertain, as other parties have stated they will not collaborate with the AfD to form a majority. Nonetheless, these election outcomes will serve as a crucial indicator ahead of Germany’s federal elections scheduled for 2025.
