+34
The far-right Alternative for Germany won nearly 44 per cent of the vote in the Saxony-Anhalt state election but fell three seats short of a majority, prompting calls from its leaders for the CDU and other parties to abandon the firewall policy and help it form a government.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) appealed on Monday to other political parties to support its bid to rule the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, after winning nearly 44 per cent of the vote in a regional election that underscored the deep unpopularity of German chancellor Friedrich Merz and his government.
Despite a record turnout of 76 per cent, the anti-immigrant and pro-Russia party fell three seats short of an absolute majority in the state legislature, securing 39 of the 83 seats in the Magdeburg parliament. The AfD now hopes to win over individual conservative lawmakers and form what it describes as a centre-right conservative majority, a scenario that would test the long-standing refusal of Germany mainstream parties, including Merz Christian Democrats, to cooperate with the far right under the so-called firewall policy.
National AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla urged CDU lawmakers to abandon what he called partisan games, telling German broadcaster ARD that politics always means compromise. His comments were echoed by Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the populist left-wing BSW party, which secured 5 per cent of the vote and is the only German party that has signalled a readiness to work with the AfD.
BSW leaders said they could back the AfD on an issue-by-issue basis and, crucially, abstain in the vote for state premier, a move that could effectively hand the leadership of Saxony-Anhalt to Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD lead candidate. Wagenknecht criticised any attempt by the other mainstream parties to forge another firewall coalition, describing it as an affront to voters.
Merz conceded that the election result had shaken his CDU party to its core and signalled that a major reckoning was needed. According to the Bild newspaper, Merz said that the result shakes our party to its very foundations and that Germany cannot simply carry on as before. The ruling CDU saw its support halved to 18 per cent, leaving it well short of a majority for its outgoing three-way coalition with the Social Democratic Party and the Greens.
Sven Schulze, the CDU leader and outgoing prime minister, told supporters that the people have sent a signal and it is now for those with responsibility to read the runes, in what was widely seen as a swipe at politicians in Berlin. A post-election poll showed that 87 per cent of voters in Saxony-Anhalt are dissatisfied with Merz government, with only nine per cent satisfied after just over a year in power.
Attention is now shifting to whether the hard left Linke party, which took 9 per cent of the vote, could enter an informal support arrangement with a CDU-led coalition, a path that remains politically risky given formal bans on cooperation with both the AfD and the Linke
Afd Saxony-Anhalt Germany Friedrich Merz CDU
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Far-right AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election, CDU suffers defeatThe Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a significant electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt, surpassing expectations and defeating the incumbent conservative CDU. However, the party's path to forming a government is complicated by the refusal of other parties to cooperate with them.
Read more »
Germany's far-right AfD wins landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt electionThe Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured a dominant win in Saxony-Anhalt, capturing nearly 32% of the vote and significantly outperforming traditional parties. This victory highlights the growing influence of right-wing populism in eastern Germany, fueled by dissatisfaction with cost-of-living issues and migration policies. The result poses a significant challenge to the national government's stability and reform agenda.
Read more »
Germany's AfD win regional elections; data centre energy use; the fall of rural Irish pubsThe article covers three distinct topics: the recent electoral victory of Germany's far-right AFD party in regional elections, the significant energy consumption of data centers, and the decline of traditional pubs in rural Ireland.
Read more »