Vithanage Erandi Kawshalya Madhushani Jade Times Staff
V.E.K. Madhushani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Europe.
German Chancellor Urges Parties to Prevent Far-Right AfD from Gaining Power After Electoral Successes in Thuringia and Saxony
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged mainstream political parties to avoid supporting the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) following the party's significant electoral victory in the eastern state of Thuringia. This win marks the AfD's first triumph in a state parliament election since World War II. The AfD also secured a strong second place finish in Saxony, a neighboring and more populous state.
Both Thuringia and Saxony have classified the AfD as a right wing extremist group. Björn Höcke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, has previously faced legal action for using Nazi slogans, though he denies doing so intentionally.
On Monday, Scholz called on democratic parties to uphold a "firewall" against the AfD, urging them to form governments without the involvement of right wing extremists. He described the election results as "bitter" and "worrying."
AfD co leader Alice Weidel responded by asserting that voters in Thuringia and Saxony had given her party a clear mandate to govern. She criticized Scholz's call for exclusion, arguing that such moves would undermine the democratic participation of a large segment of the population, stating, "Firewalls are undemocratic."
Despite their gains, the AfD cannot govern in Thuringia without the support of other parties. The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which came in second, has ruled out any coalition with the far right. To form a majority, the CDU may need to seek alliances with left-leaning parties, including the radical populist Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW, a scenario that remains controversial within the CDU.
Björn Höcke suggested that many CDU voters would welcome cooperation between the two parties. However, the AfD's strong performance, securing over 30% of the vote in Thuringia, grants it a "blocking minority," enabling it to obstruct appointments of new judges and any constitutional amendments.
In Saxony, the CDU narrowly won with 42 seats, while the AfD secured 41, followed by Sahra Wagenknecht's party with 15 seats. In Thuringia, Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) won only six seats, with none for his coalition partners, the Greens and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). The SPD also struggled in Saxony, where it finished fifth.
The results reflect widespread dissatisfaction with Germany's ruling "traffic light" coalition, composed of the SPD, Greens, and FDP, named for their party colors. All three governing parties performed poorly, signaling potential challenges within the national coalition. Although leaders insist they will not dissolve the coalition, the need for each party to assert its values may heighten internal conflicts.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel claimed that voters have effectively rejected the current coalition, urging Scholz and his partners to step down. "The voters want a different government; they want a different politics," she said.
Immigration, particularly the issue of refugees and asylum seekers, was the primary concern for AfD voters on Sunday. Despite being excluded from power at both regional and national levels, the AfD continues to influence mainstream politics. Critics argue that the party's anti migrant rhetoric has coarsened public discourse since it entered the Bundestag in 2017, with accusations that some conservative leaders, such as CDU's Friedrich Merz, have adopted similar rhetoric.
To win back AfD supporters, mainstream parties are adopting tougher stances on migration, including proposals to facilitate the deportation of rejected asylum seekers.
Aslihan Yesilkaya Yurtbay, the federal chairwoman of the umbrella organization of Turkish communities in Berlin, described the election results as "shocking and frightening." She noted that many younger individuals with migration backgrounds are contemplating leaving Germany, feeling their future is increasingly uncertain.
The AfD also opposes supplying weapons to Ukraine, a stance shared by Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW. With about five million eligible voters in the eastern states on Sunday, attention now turns to Brandenburg, where elections are set to take place in three weeks. Although the AfD leads in opinion polls, the Social Democrats and conservatives are only a few points behind, setting the stage for another closely watched contest.
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