THE Far-right alternative for Germany (AfD) came first in regional elections in Thuringia And the second in Saxonythe two eastern German states, behind the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), according to exit polls.
In Thuringia, the AfD obtained 30.5% of the votes followed by the CDU with 24.6%, the Sahra Wagenknecht League (BSW) with 16%The left with 12.0% and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 12%.
This is the first time that AfD is the party with the most votes in a federal state even though their chances of forming a government are slim due to the cordon sanitaire around the party.
in Saxony CDU gets 31.5%, AfD 30%, BSW 12%, SPD 8.5% and the Greens 5.5%.
The formation of the government in the two federated states It will be difficult according to the first results.
The Conservatives The German opposition has edged ahead of the far right in elections in the eastern state of Saxony. Sunday, with a half-point lead over the Alternative for Germany, according to an exit poll conducted by the ZDF channel.
The Christian Democrats (CDU), who governed Saxony since reunification more than 30 years agothey seemed ready to gets 32% of the votes compared to 32.1% in 2019.
But the AfD was very close, with 31.5% at the ZDF pollscompared to 27.5% in 2019, while the populist rookie Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is in third place with 11.5%. An exit poll conducted by rival channel ARD gave the conservatives a slightly larger lead.
The Far Right in Germany
The AfD was on course to become the largest far-right party on Sunday. winning regional elections in Germany since World War IIAs exit polls show, but it is almost certain that he will not find alliances to form a government.
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), left-wing populist, which, like the AfD, demands stricter controls on immigration And wants to stop arming Ukraineranked third in both states, although it was much less successful to previous surveys.
Prelude to the 2025 elections?
One year before the German national elections, The results seem harsh for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalitioneven if its social democrats They seem to have passed the 5% threshold to remain in parliaments of both states.
However, their coalition partners, the Greens and the Free Democrats, appeared less secure in both parliaments, in a development that could herald even more conflict within Scholz’s already fractured coalition government.
All parties, including the BSW, which shares some ideals with the extreme right, They promised not to admit AfD into the coalition which they consider undemocratic and extremist.
