Voting Processes - The AfD is leading in the European elections in Saxony-Anhalt, with BSW coming in third.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has claimed victory in the European elections in Saxony-Anhalt. With about 31.1% of the votes counted, they've surpassed the Christian Democrats (CDU) who came in second place with 22.5%. The CDU, the Social Democrats (SPD), the Left, and the Free Democrats (FDP) all posted their worst performances in a European election in the region. The Left secured third place with around 14.7%.
Around 1.8 million people were eligible to vote in the state, and around 59% of them actually cast their ballots. The SPD managed 8.6%, the Left snagged 4.8%, the Greens got 4.0%, and the FDP just 2.5%.
Reichardt: "This is a remarkable achievement for our party."
AfD state leader Martin Reichardt celebrated the result on Sunday. The right-wing populists boosted their numbers by over ten percentage points in Saxony-Anhalt, he said. "We've managed to distance ourselves from the CDU," Reichardt claimed. "This is a clear signal for the next state elections." The AfD aims to become the most powerful force in Saxony-Anhalt by 2026. "We're ready to accept responsibility," he continued. The AfD is considered securely right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony-Anhalt.
Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) expressed concern. "It's alarming that only the CDU in the east can still compete with the AfD. The fact that the AfD appears to be Germany's second strongest party is a major warning sign," Haseloff remarked to the German Press Agency. He criticized the federal government's policy. "The traffic light coalition has been penalized because it focuses on the wrong priorities," he argued. "The current policies of the national government are fueling the surge in the far-left and far-right wings. People want their jobs secured and issues like inflation and immigration solved—not debating cannabis and gender identity first. The traffic light parties' coalition agreement has been rejected."
The Left Alliance is ecstatic about their performance. "We've exceeded our expectations," admitted Landeskoordinator John Lucas Dittrich to the dpa on Sunday night. "Everyone's really happy. This is fantastic," Dittrich exclaimed. He revealed plans to establish a regional BSW association in the fall.
The Ampel party representatives in Saxony-Anhalt were dejected. "The election result is below our expectations," conceded SPD state chairpersons Juliane Kleemann and Andreas Schmidt. FDP state chairman Lydia Hüskens faulted the increasing extremism. "The extreme right and left are gaining strength due to existing insecurities," Hüskens observed. "The FDP must reinforce its economic and asylum policies. I'm confident that then, public approval for the party will also recover." Co-chairwoman of the Greens in the state Dennis Helmich lamented the disappointing result. "The Greens have suffered another right-wing shift in Eastern Germany." Janina Böttger, leader of the Link party, said an "honest evaluation" was required. "As a party, we have a lot of work ahead of us to regain public trust. The AfD and the Left have capitalized more effectively on the 'traffic light chaos' than we have," she explained.
CDU state chairperson Sven Schulze, however, noted that the CDU had nearly maintained its 2019 result in Saxony-Anhalt. Hence, he believed the other parties needed to frame the question of what they're doing wrong. "How can we improve?" Schulze inquired.
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- Despite the FDP's poor performance in the European elections in Saxony-Anhalt, they still managed to secure a seat in the EU Parliament, given that they crossed the 5% threshold required for representation.
- The result of the European elections in Saxony-Anhalt has raised concerns within the European Union, as the AfD's strong showing could potentially shift the balance of power in Brussels and impact EU policy-making.
- The upcoming municipal elections in several German cities, including Berlin, will be closely watched to see if the AfD's momentum continues and whether other parties can effectively counter their rise.
- Sahra Wagenknecht, the co-leader of the Left party, called for a more progressive approach in European policy, emphasizing the need to tackleissues like income inequality and climate change.
- The CDU will be looking for ways to reclaim its position as the leading political force in Saxony-Anhalt, as Reiner Haseloff, the Minister President, has criticized the federal government's policies he believes are contributing to the rise of extremist parties.
- Various political commentators have pointed out that the results of the European elections in Germany may reflect a growing dissatisfaction among voters with traditional parties and the established political system, prompting calls for fresh ideas and strategies.
- The Electoral Commission in Germany is now preparing for the counting of votes and declaring the final results of the European elections, with the first seats in the EU Parliament likely to be allocated in the coming weeks.
- The turnout in the European elections in Saxony-Anhalt was above the national average, with around 59% of eligible voters casting their ballots, demonstrating the importance that many Germans place on the European Union and their role within it.
