Upcoming European polls - Labor victorious in European polls, AfD leading in Eastern regions
Germany has experienced a rightward shift in the recent European election. The AfD seizes the second-largest position nationwide, surpassing previous results, and takes the leading spot in the eastern regions. The SPD, Greens, and FDP face significant losses, resulting in a close consensus of public support. The Left, too, experiences a decline and is surpassed by the newer party BSW, led by Sahra Wagenknecht.
The AfD dominates Eastern Germany, having registered its best performance yet in a nationwide election. The immensely popular Chancellor Scholz has not been able to save the SPD, which has reached its lowest point in a nationwide election, falling to 13.9% (previously 15.8%). The Greens, who also relied heavily on the Chancellor's presence during the campaigns, dropped to 11.9% (compared to 20.5%). The FDP maintained its position, barely losing any support and remained at 5.2% (from 5.4% previously).
The smaller parties also faced changes. The Left experienced a slump, garnering only 2.7% (down from 5.5%), and the Free Voters and Volt Party recorded 2.7% (up from 2.2%) and 2.6% (up from 0.7%), respectively. Unlike previous elections, the European elections do not have a high threshold, which means no five-percent barrier - a fact that opened the contest to all interested parties. The latest voter turnout estimations are at 65%, a significant increase from 61.4% in 2019, making Germany the fifth-highest country out of 27 EU member states.
16- and 17-year-olds were allowed to weigh in for the first time in Germany's European election, further contributing to the high turnout. For the first time, people belonging to the aforementioned age category were given the right to cast their votes, adding to the buzz and interest surrounding the event.
"Deeply Disappointed" - SPD Figures
Lars Klingbeil, the leader of the SPD, considered the results a drastic disappointment. "There's not much to be said about it," he added, acknowledging the need for change in the post-election stats. Kevin Kühnert, the SPD General Secretary, echoed similar sentiments: "We cannot be happy with this result."
Given the disappointing outcome, there's no talk of celebration regarding Chancellor Scholz's person. Several senior figures within the party weighed in with their opinions; amongst them was former SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel. Admitting that Scholz had borne no personal responsibility for the electoral performance, Gabriel posed questions regarding the party's future leadership. "There's no unquestioned claim to lead the SPD when it stands at 14%. It is the party's responsibility to now assess their roles in this election's failure.", highlighted Gabriel in an interview with the Tagesspiegel.
Addressing the recent Ampel parties' victory, he added, "This is a significant warning slap before the Bundestag election next year!" Marcus Söder, the CSU leader, also weighed in on the controversial topic, declaring that the Ampel coalition had been outright rejected by the German public. His party, the CDU, led by Friedrich Merz, called for a course correction by the administration.
"We need a correction urgently; this is an alarm signal for the Ampel in the next federal election", said Merz. Though the Ampel coalition has had its effect in both domestic and economic policies, Merz insisted it damaging to Germany on the whole.
In a post-election response, AfD leader Tino Chrupalla heralded his party's results as "historic." "We're now the strongest party in the east," expressed Chrupalla, previewing upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. The soft-spoken Green party chairwoman, Ricarda Lang, expressed her dismay at the decrease in support for her party. "We can not be satisfied," noted Lang, "And now we'll work on it together."
The FDP's Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann celebrated the party's resilience and maintaining its standing from the last European election. "It's great news that it's now a stable five percent," she said at the FDP headquarters in Berlin. However, when asked about her confidence in the Federal Chancellor, the party's General Secretary, Bijan Djir-Sarai, refused to comment. "That's not the focus of the program", responded Djir-Sarai to an inquiry about Chancellor Scholz.
Bitter Night for the Left and Satisfying Outcome for BSW
The Left experienced a disappointing night, with a meager 2.7% result, down from 5.5%. Martin Schirdewan, the Left party leader, openly admitted that they had failed to make significant headway with their pressing issues - wages and rents, price hikes, redistribution policies, climate protection, and the need for peace.
BSW's founder, Sahra Wagenknecht, was visibly pleased with the performance of her formation in the elections. "We see great potential", exclaimed Wagenknecht, "And will build on it for the future." Wagenknecht emphasized the need for a diplomatic approach to Russia's war with Ukraine. "Many people are fearful that the conflict might reach us."
All across Europe, the conservative European People's Party (EPP), led by German candidate Ursula von der Leyen, emerged victorious in the recent elections. Preliminary reports by the European Parliament indicate that von der Leyen stands a good chance of securing a second term as President of the EU Commission, despite the surge in support for right-wing parties.
Prior to the election, it was predicted that right-wing groups would make significant gains in various EU nations, with Germany's AfD potentially climbing to more than 20% in some surveys. But this upward trend was abruptly halted when their top candidate, Maximilian Krah, and number two on the list, Petr Bystron, faced serious allegations. Krah was accused of bribery and money laundering, while Bystron faced accusations of being connected to pro-Russian networks.
Millions of citizens cast their votes
A staggering 360 million European citizens were eligible to cast their ballots in the EU countries, with 61 million of those hailing from Germany alone. Voting took place between Thursday and Sunday, depending on the specific nation. In addition to electing 720 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), local elections were conducted in eight federal states - Baden-Wuerttemberg, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. Voters in Thuringia also participated in runoff elections to determine the fate of numerous district councils and mayors.
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- Despite Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW outperforming The Left in the European elections, she expressed concern about the conflict in Ukraine and the potential for it to impact Germany.
- The SPD's Lars Klingbeil and Kevin Kühnert expressed disappointment with the party's performance in the European elections, acknowledging the need for change.
- Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, was unable to prevent the SPD from reaching its lowest point in a nationwide election, amidst a rightward shift in the country.
- Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU, called for a course correction by the Ampel coalition, citing their influence on domestic and economic policies as damaging to Germany as a whole.
- The Free Voters and Volt Party recorded increases in support during the European elections, while The Left experienced a significant decline, garnering only 2.7% of the vote.
- Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, the leader of the European People's Party (EPP), emerged victorious in the European elections, securing a good chance of securing a second term as President of the EU Commission.
- The European elections saw 65% voter turnout in Germany, making it the fifth-highest out of 27 EU member states, and allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote for the first time.
- The Greens, led by Ricarda Lang, experienced a decrease in support during the European elections, despite relying heavily on Chancellor Scholz's presence during the campaigns.
- The FDP, led by Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, maintained its position during the European elections, celebrating its resilience and its stable five-percent standing compared to the previous election.
- The AfD, led by Tino Chrupalla, took advantage of the European elections to assert its influence, becoming the strongest party in Eastern Germany and previewing upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg.
