Germany's AfD Tops Thuringia Election... First Far-Right Party Victory Since Postwar Era

Germany's far-right nationalist party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), secured the position of the largest party in the Thuringia state parliament election held on the 1st (local time). This marks the first time since World War II that a far-right party has won a state election in Germany. Meanwhile, the ruling coalition is expected to suffer a crushing defeat with single-digit support rates.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to German public broadcaster ZDF and others, as of 9 p.m. that night, AfD was leading in Thuringia with 33.2% of the vote, ahead of all other parties. The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) recorded 23.6%, placing second. The so-called "traffic light coalition" led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz is estimated to receive only single-digit percentages across all its member parties. In particular, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), to which Scholz belongs, is expected to record its worst state election result since the postwar period.

Currently, major foreign media outlets assess that AfD's victory has little practical impact on the power balance in Berlin but carries significant symbolic meaning. Since World War II, no far-right party in Germany has ever won a state parliament or federal election. Bj?rn H?cke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, is a prominent far-right politician in Germany who has been fined twice by courts for using banned Nazi slogans in speeches. Tino Chrupalla, co-leader of AfD, appeared on local broadcasts and said, "If you want to respect the will of the voters, it will now be impossible to govern without AfD."

AfD is also expected to come in second in the Saxony state parliament election held on the same day, securing 30.4% of the vote. Currently, the CDU leads in this region with 31.5%, but the gap with the second place is narrow.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) stated, "AfD has won a state election for the first time since its founding 11 years ago," calling it "a political earthquake and a milestone as centrist parties are increasingly on the defensive." This also reflects that voters in the former East Germany are increasingly abandoning the center due to high inflation, economic recession, soaring energy costs, and political division, turning instead to populist parties. Andr? Brodocz, a professor at the University of Erfurt in Thuringia, told The Guardian, "AfD has established a core base (in the East), and now voters are voting for AfD out of conviction rather than disappointment with other parties."

However, despite securing over 30% of the vote, AfD is expected to be excluded from participating in the state governments of both Thuringia and Saxony. Most parties, including SPD and CDU, adhere to a principle of excluding AfD from coalition formations. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution also legally monitors AfD in Thuringia and Saxony as a right-wing extremist organization. Local media predict that in Thuringia, a coalition is likely to be formed among the second-place CDU, the radical left alliance B?ndnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), and SPD.

The key factor is the left-wing populist BSW. According to ZDF, BSW is expected to secure 15% in Thuringia and 11% in Saxony, placing third in both states. Local media have noted that the party benefiting from voter dissatisfaction with the established political sphere is not only the far-right AfD but also BSW, which shares positions with AfD on core issues such as reducing support for Ukraine, strict immigration policies, and taxing the wealthy. If CDU forms a coalition with BSW in Thuringia, it is expected to cause divisions within the center-right. The Guardian described "the rise of BSW as a game changer," stating that it "rejects established parties while offering an alternative to the too radical AfD."

On the 22nd, the Brandenburg state parliament election will be held, where Chancellor Scholz's constituency Potsdam is located. This is the last major election before the federal parliamentary election scheduled for September next year. Some speculate that the traffic light coalition might collapse due to recent disastrous election results, potentially leading to an early general election, but experts consider this possibility to be low.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.