German right-wing extremists win first state elections since World War II

On Sunday, for the first time in the post-war period, a right-wing extremist party won a state election in eastern Germany and had the prospect of finishing at least narrowly behind the established conservatives in a second election.

The founding of a new party by a prominent leftist also had an immediate impact, while the parties of the unpopular federal government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz achieved extremely weak results.

Forecasts by the public television stations ARD and ZDF based on election day surveys and partial counts showed that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) received 32 to 33 percent of the vote in Thuringia – well ahead of the center-right CDU, the largest opposition party at the federal level, which received about 24 percent.

In neighboring Saxony, forecasts put the approval ratings of the CDU, which has led the state since German reunification in 1990, at 31.5 to 31.8 percent, and those of the AfD at 30.8 to 31.4 percent.

“The fact that for the first time since 1949 an openly right-wing extremist party has become the strongest force in a state parliament is causing great concern and fear among many people,” said Omid Nouripour, one of the leaders of the Greens, one of the nationwide governing parties.

Other parties say they will not bring the AfD to power by forming a coalition. Nevertheless, its strength is likely to make it extremely difficult for it to form new state governments, forcing other parties to form exotic new coalitions. The new coalition led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) received up to 16 percent of the vote in Thuringia and 12 percent in Saxony, which further complicates the situation.

“This is a historic success for us,” said Alice Weidel, federal chairwoman of the AfD, to ARD. She described the result as a “requiem” for Scholz's coalition.

Deep dissatisfaction with a government notorious for its power struggles, anti-immigration sentiment and skepticism about German military aid to Ukraine are among the factors that have contributed to support for populist parties in the region, which is less prosperous than West Germany.

Originally published: September 1, 2024 at 3:50 p.m.