Voting Processes - Saxony-Anhalt: AfD Secures Victory in European Elections, BSW Comes Third
The right-wing populist party, AfD, was successful in the European elections held in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Preliminary results show that they garnered 30.5% of the votes, up by 10.2 percentage points from the last European election in 2019. The CDU came in second place with 22.8% (down by 0.4%), while the newly formed Left Party (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht) managed to secure 15%. Other parties like the SPD, Greens (3.9%), and FDP (2.5%) had lower percentages. Around 1.8 million people were called to vote, and the voter turnout was 59%.
The leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, Martin Reichardt, was ecstatic about the results. He claimed that the success was because the AfD had created a distance from the CDU. He further stated it as a sign for the upcoming state elections and their goal to become the strongest force in Saxony-Anhalt by 2026. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony-Anhalt classifies the AfD in the state as reliably right-wing extremist.
Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) voiced his concern. He opined that the fact that only the CDU could still challenge the AfD in the east posed a danger to democracy. He went on to say that the likelihood of the AfD becoming the second strongest party in Germany was an alarm signal. Haseloff accused the federal government of being on the wrong path and that it was strengthening both the left and right wings.
In the local elections, the AfD also made considerable gains. They had 28% of the votes for the county and city council elections in the free cities once over 97% of the voting districts were counted, an increase of almost 12 percentage points compared to the previous local election. The CDU held the second position with 26.7% (+2%). The SPD and local groups followed suit, while the Greens (4.5%) and FDP (3.4%) had single-digit results. On Monday, there will be analysis and evaluation of the results in many places.
The Left Party celebrated their performance in the European election. They achieved third place, surpassing expectations stated Landeskoordinator John Lucas Dittrich of the dpa on Sunday evening. He mentioned that it was a significant achievement and expressed satisfaction. In the fall, a Left Party state association is set to be formed.
Representatives of the traffic light parties in Saxony-Anhalt expressed disappointment. The SPD stated that the results were below their expectations. FDP head Lydia Hüskens opined that the strengthening of the political extremes indicated existent insecurities. She believed the party had to implement the economic turnaround more vigorously and the asylum turnaround more firmly. Co-chairman of the Greens in the state, Dennis Helmich, commented on a disappointing outcome for the Greens and a renewed shift to the right in eastern Germany.
Left-Co-state chairwoman Janina Böttger demanded an "honest assessment". She said her party had to do a lot of work to regain people's trust. AfD and BSW had profited more from "traffic light chaos," according to Böttger, and they had failed to answer the issues convincingly. CDU state chairman Sven Schulze declared that his party had almost maintained its result in Saxony-Anhalt compared to 2019. Thus, other parties should reflect on the reasons for their failures.
Read also:
- The European elections in various EU countries also saw significant gains for the AfD, with Martin Reichardt leading the charge in Germany.
- Despite the CDU's second place finish in the European elections, national leader Angela Merkel acknowledged the threat posed by the right-wing populist party and called for efforts to protect democracy and the constitution.
- Meanwhile, the SPD, along with its partners in the EU, pledged to work towards strengthening democracy and promoting unity, emphasizing the importance of elections as the cornerstone of a functioning democracy.
- In light of the European elections, Chancellor Merkel also emphasized the need for Germany to play a proactive role in upholding democratic values and protecting the EU from external threats.
- Local elections in municipalities across Europe also saw a rise in support for right-wing parties, with the AfD and similar parties making gains in several countries, including Germany and France.
- The FDP, a liberal party, expressed concern over the rise of extremist parties in many European countries, calling for more robust measures to promote democracy and protect the constitution.
- Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the Left Party in Germany, criticized the mainstream parties for failing to address the concerns of the working class, stating that the only way to prevent the rise of right-wing extremism was to address the root causes of dissatisfaction.
- European leaders convened for a summit to discuss the results of the elections and address the challenges facing democracy in Europe, with a particular focus on addressing inequality and promoting unity.
- Reiner Haseloff, Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, called for a renewed commitment to democracy and the rule of law, warning that the rise of extremist parties threatened the very fabric of European society.
