THEfar right triumphs as the governing coalition collapses. This is theoutcome of the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, where for the first time since the Second World War a far-right party, thealternative for Germany (AfD), conquers the first place in a German stateThe elections shook Germany with the triumph of the nationalists, the collapse of the government parties of Olaf Scholz, the crisis of the Left and the rise of Sahra Wagenknecht with her controversial political movement suspected of 'red-brownism'. The only bulwark against the populist drift, in the regions of the former GDR, is represented by the Christian Democrats of the CDU, who now feel invested with the responsibility of governing.
In Thuringia, the AfD won 33,5% of the vote, overtaking the CDU, which stopped at 24,5%. The new party BSW of Sahra Wagenknecht debuted with 15,6%, while the Linke of the outgoing president Bodo Ramelow collapsed to 11,4%, losing almost 20 points. The Social Democrats obtained 6,1% (-2,1), while the Greens, with 3,9% (-1,3), did not reach the 5% threshold. Björn Höcke, leader of the AfD in Thuringia and known for his extremist positions, has, however, lost the direct election in the Greiz II constituency against the CDU candidate. He could still obtain a seat in the state parliament through the party list.
In Saxony, the AfD came within a whisker of victory, stopping just one point behind the CDU. Projections indicate that the Christian Democrats, who have governed the state since 1990, obtained 32%, with a mere one point advantage over the AfD. The parties of the governing coalition in Berlin, namely the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, instead suffered a heavy defeat.
Despite these successes, it is unlikely that the AfD will be able to form a government. If the CDU feels ready to take control, Höcke has nevertheless invited the parties to consult on forming a coalition. “We are ready to take on the responsibility of the government,” he said, “without us there can be no stability in Thuringia. We are now the people’s party.”
"The next step will be the negotiations for the government. As the strongest force, we are naturally instructed, according to parliamentary custom, to make the appropriate offers. It remains to be seen whether the established politicians and the other forces will continue with their failed concepts or whether they will be willing to engage with us. At the very least, we are ready to talk to everyone and explore how, together, we can create better policies for Thuringia than we have seen in the last 10 years," said AfD spokesman in Thuringia Möller.
Government coalition takes a beating, CDU holds firm
The elections marked a heavy defeat for the parties of the governing coalition, with the SPD, the Greens and the FDP achieving disappointing results. SPD of Chancellor Scholz received only 6,5 percent of the vote in Thuringia and 7,5 percent in Saxony. The Greens and the FDP failed to pass the 5 percent threshold in both states. Overall, the parties of the “traffic light coalition” received less than 15 percent of the vote in the two states, while the CDU has confirmed itself as the only bulwark against the advance of the far right in the east of the country.
The Rise of Sahra Wagenknecht and the Boom of the Red-Browns
Another significant element of these elections was the success of the new left-wing populist party, born from the dissidents of the far left of The Left, Led by Sahra Wagenknecht, the Bsw (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht), which debuted with 15,6% in Thuringia and 11,5% in Saxony. This party, suspected of "red-brown" sympathies, has Die Linke's consensus further eroded, once the dominant force in the East. Wagenknecht, while rejecting a coalition with the AfD, has taken a softer line, opening up the possibility of collaboration on specific issues, which could make forming a stable government even more complicated.
Pressure on Scholz mounts with election a year to go
Although the election results in Eastern Germany differ significantly from those in the rest of the country, the pressure on Olaf Scholz and his policies, particularly on immigration and support for Ukraine, is growing less than a year before national elections. The campaign was also heavily influenced by the August 23 attack in Solingen, which led Berlin to tighten its asylum and deportation regulations.
