It was the first time a far-right party had done so well in post-WWII Germany – widely described as an epoch-making incidence after World War II, especially for the Thuringia state election where the AfD polled 32.8% of the vote, overtaking the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) which obtained 23.6 percent of the votes.
Furthermore, AfD is only slightly behind CDU in the neighboring Saxony. Although preliminary figures suggest that CDU has 31.9 percent, the AfD party enjoys almost 30.6-30.7 percent support nationwide. It is the first time a far-right party has become the most significant force in a state’s parliament since the end of World War II.
These were officially declared on Sunday, and they signify a dramatic shift in German politics, especially in the eastern part of the nation. However, it has registered several successes and, for example, received 27% of the votes in Saxony; however, specific challenges impede the AfD from attaining power, and other political parties are closing their doors to the AfD. CDU has been the ruling party in Saxony since the German Reunification in 1990 and is currently expected to remain in the position, but the margin is quite a toss-up.
AfD winning the Thuringian state and gaining high votes in the Saxony state are considered a significant blow to Scholz’s ruling coalition. The coalition of center-left that comprises Scholz’s social democrats together with the Greens and the Free Democrats has been followed by rising critical scrutiny and internal strain. This is especially the case with the Greens and Free Democrats, the coalition partners, who now look like they have fewer assurances of their electoral success.
In Thuringia state, where the party has increased its representation compared with the results of the 2019 election, AfD is headed by Bjoern Hoecke, who has previously made several remarks against immigrants and Islam. Due to his provocative language, Hoecke has been one of the most well-known and controversial politicians of the AfD.
Omid Nouripour from the Greens spoke, fearing the existence of AfD, and referred to the party as bad for the German democracy. The far-left BSL’s populist candidate, Sahra Wagenknecht, received over 11% in both states; however, it did not meet the earlier projected figures.
As the German populace had a year left for the national election, the outcomes of Thuringia and Saxony anticipated a rise of the far-right. However, the current exceptional performance by the AfD cannot guarantee the party any governing opportunities soon since other existing parties in Germany have renounced any cooperation with AfD.
This is given the fact that the election results are associated with surging political-instigated violence and recent violent acts, such as the recent knife attack in Saxony, that have fueled immigration-related debate. The voter turnout in both states is comparatively high, meaning more people participate in the political process. This rising trend is defining a more polarized society in Germany.
Sandra Pagel, a voter from Thuringia, stated her concerns concerning the victory of AfD in the following words: ‘for future generations.’ However, one needs to consider various issues to come to the core conclusion: the AfD’s performance can be attributed to political moves and dissatisfaction with the current coalition government. While Germany gears up for federal polls, the scenarios in Thuringia and Saxony enlighten the constituency of the rising issues that are bound to test the coalition parties soon.
