Germany’s far-right has scored its biggest regional victory since World War II, bringing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) closer to a realistic chance of winning power for the first time, Politico reports.
The state elections are seen as a key test of whether the anti-immigration, pro-Russia AfD, which has become the most popular party in Europe’s largest economy, can turn its popularity into a government. The party has made no secret of its view of the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt as the foundation for its national ambitions, using the slogan “It begins here.”
Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD’s candidate for prime minister in Saxony-Anhalt, said in a statement that the party had made history and would reclaim Germany, starting with Saxony-Anhalt. On the evening of the 6th of September, when almost all the votes had been counted, the AfD had received 44% of the vote, giving it 39 seats in the federal state parliament, just three short of the 42 seats that would provide a solid majority.
Now the political bargaining for the chance to gain power will likely hinge on whether the AfD can reach an agreement with the populist left-wing party BSW, founded by a former member of the East German Communist Party. Another option would be to convince members of other parties to switch political affiliations.
The results are devastating for Germany’s Christian Democratic Party, represented by current German Chancellor
Friedrich Merz. It won just 18% of the vote (in Saxony-Anhalt, the Christian Democrats had 37.1% of voters in 2021). The AfD’s victory in the state elections has also sparked talk of a possible change of chancellor. Siegmund said his party’s victory was a clear signal to Merz. He said that every day that Merz spends as chancellor is a day too many.
However, the question remains whether the AfD will succeed in coming to power. One of the party’s leaders, Alice Weidel, immediately welcomed the historic victory and said that the AfD had been given a clear mandate to lead the regional government. Siegmund will now have to figure out whether he can muster enough support to win a 42-seat majority. Weidel said her party is always open to working with coalition partners.
The most likely partner is the populist BSW of Sahra Wagenknecht, which has previously condemned the “firewall” of the big parties against the far right, calling it anti-democratic. The BSWW could win four seats in the regional parliament.
The AfD has also called on Christian Democrat members to leave their party and join forces with the far right.
The outcome of the Saxony-Anhalt election is unpleasant for the Christian Democrats, who have been in power in the state for 24 years. The party’s general secretary, Franziska Hoppermann, called the result very difficult and described it as a defeat overall.
The fact that four out of ten voters in Saxony-Anhalt supported the AfD, despite the fact that the state security services have included the party’s branch in the list of right-wing extremist organizations, highlights the widespread distrust in the east of Germany of the big parties, the media and public institutions.
The party has had its best showing since its founding in 2013, promising to deport migrants, build closer ties with Moscow (including reviving exchange programs in schools), remove rainbow flags from schools and offer 2,000 euros in support for the first two children and 4,000 euros for each additional child in a family.
However, the AfD’s success seems to have less to do with the party’s promises and more to do with growing distrust of the major parties, especially Merck and his conservative bloc.
Saxony-Anhalt is among the lowest-income federal states, and economic anxiety was a major factor. Some 70% of those polled said they were very worried that rising prices would make it impossible to pay all their bills, and 58% feared they would not be able to maintain their living standards.
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