Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a significant electoral breakthrough in the eastern state of Thuringia, where projections indicate the party is poised to secure nearly one-third of the vote. The AfD’s performance places it nine points ahead of the conservative CDU and well in front of the three governing parties.
This potential victory would mark the first time the far right has won in a state parliament since World War Two, though the AfD faces challenges forming a government in Thuringia.
The AfD also performed strongly in a parallel election in Saxony, where it finished just behind the CDU, which garnered nearly 32% of the vote. This reflects a broader trend as the AfD continues to gain traction across eastern Germany.
Björn Höcke, the AfD’s controversial candidate in Thuringia, proclaimed the outcome a “historic victory” for his party. While he did not secure a direct mandate, being at the top of the party list could still allow him to gain a parliamentary seat.
Despite facing scrutiny and being labelled as a right-wing extremist, Höcke, who has previously faced legal consequences for inflammatory remarks, remains a pivotal figure for the party. The election coincidentally occurred 85 years after the onset of World War Two, prompting remarks from prominent Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch, who expressed concerns about national stability and safety.
With federal elections approaching, the AfD has risen to second place in national opinion polls. Co-leader Alice Weidel asserted that the results indicate a waning support for Germany’s ruling coalition, emphasizing that voters in both states desire the AfD’s involvement in government.
For the CDU, which has ruled out collaboration with the far right, forming a majority will necessitate support from left-leaning parties—a challenging and contentious prospect.
Five million voters in eastern Germany participated in the elections, with 36% of those under 30 in Thuringia casting their votes for the AfD. Key issues for these voters included immigration and asylum policies, as sentiments around these topics remain intensely charged.
The urgency surrounding asylum issues was reignited just days before the election due to a violent incident linked to a suspect facing deportation, which drew national attention and criticism of current policies.
If projections hold, the AfD could claim 32 seats out of 88 in the Thuringia parliament, compared to the CDU’s 23. This seat distribution potentially grants the AfD a blocking minority on critical legislative decisions.
As the political landscape in Germany evolves, with upcoming elections in Brandenburg, the impact of the AfD’s rise remains a focal point for both supporters and opponents.
Protests against the AfD have grown, reflecting widespread concerns over perceived extremist ideologies gaining ground in German politics.
The emergence of Sahra Wagenknecht’s left-wing populist party has further complicated the landscape, affecting traditional leftist vote distributions.
Bodo Ramelow, the outgoing Left-party premier, warned against normalizing far-right ideologies and stressed the need to address the fears that characterized this election cycle.
