Right-wingers lead by a wide margin in Thuringia
Published: Sunday, Sep 1st 2024, 21:20
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Historic success for the AfD in Germany: for the first time, the far-right party has become the strongest force in a state election. According to projections by ARD and ZDF, it is in first place in Thuringia.
In the simultaneous state election in Saxony, it also made gains and was in a close race with the CDU for first place. The newly founded left-wing populist alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) achieved strong double-digit gains in both states. For the parties in the "traffic light" coalition in Berlin, it is a bitter evening in the face of painful losses.
According to projections, the AfD in Thuringia increased to 32.0 to 33.2 percent (2019: 23.4 percent), while the CDU landed at 23.9 to 24.2 percent (21.7). From a standing start, the BSW achieved 15.4 to 15.7 percent - leaving Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow's Left Party far behind, which plummeted dramatically to 11.4 to 12.6 percent (31.0).
The "traffic light" goes down the drain
The parties in the Berlin traffic light government recorded heavy losses: with 6.1 to 6.4 percent, the SPD is still below its worst result to date in Thuringia in 2019 (8.2). The Greens are out of parliament with 3.5 to 3.9 percent (5.2), as is the FDP with 1.2 percent (5.0). In Saxony, the CDU stands at 31.7% (2019: 32.1%). The AfD is close behind with 30.6% to 31.4% (27.5%). The BSW achieved 11.5 to 12.0% from a standing start. The SPD is at 7.5 to 7.8 percent (7.7). The Left Party achieved 4.0 to 4.6 percent - less than half of the votes it received five years ago (10.4). The Greens also have to tremble with 5.2 percent (8.6). The FDP once again failed to enter parliament - as in the last two state elections.
Self-critical tones from Berlin
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert announced a stronger profile for the Social Democrats. It was about "becoming more emancipated". They "no longer want to be danced around by others who have now been voted out of the state parliaments by the skin of their teeth", he said with a view to disputes with the FDP and Greens in the traffic light coalition in the federal government. In the view of Green Party leader Omid Nouripour, the dispute is one of the reasons for the poor performance of the traffic light parties. They had to "take a good look at themselves". FDP leader Christian Lindner wrote on Platform X: "The results in Saxony and Thuringia hurt. But no one should be fooled, because we are not giving up our fight for liberal values." BSW party leader Wagenknecht spoke of a tremendous success. Many people are deeply moved by the issue of peace. They rejected the planned stationing of long-range US missiles in Germany. A state government must take this wish into account and campaign for it at federal level.
End of the road for the only left-wing father of the country
In Thuringia, the previous red-red-green minority coalition under head of government Ramelow (Left Party), which has relied on cooperation with the CDU since 2019, has no realistic chance of continuing to govern. The AfD, classified by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution as definitely right-wing extremist, remains outside the new government, as the other parties have ruled out a coalition. Nevertheless, Thuringia's AfD leader Björn Höcke believes that his party has a mandate to govern. He wants to talk to the other parties about coalitions, said the 52-year-old, who was fined twice in the first instance a few weeks ago for using a Nazi slogan.
The most likely option in Thuringia would now be a political first: an alliance between the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats and the newly founded BSW. The BSW is a spin-off from the Left Party of head of government Ramelow. It takes a hard line on immigration policy.
Unlike the CDU and SPD, it rejects further military support for Ukraine - although no decision is made on this at state level. CDU politicians in particular are bothered by the fact that party founder Sahra Wagenknecht was a member of the GDR state party SED and later a leading figure of the communist platform in the Left Party.
Saxony may continue as before
According to initial figures, CDU Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer could continue his coalition with the Greens and SPD in Saxony. The Christian Democrats have been the head of government in Dresden without interruption since German reunification.
If the AfD wins more than a third of the seats in both Thuringia and Saxony, it would have a so-called blocking minority: decisions and elections that require a two-thirds majority would have to be approved by the AfD. For example, constitutional judges are elected by parliament with a two-thirds majority.
©Keystone/SDA
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