The AfD is the most powerful political force in the eastern regions.

Upcoming European polls - The AfD is the most powerful political force in the eastern regions.

The right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now the most powerful group in the eastern regions of Europe, as per calculations by German broadcaster ARD. In the recent European election, the AfD secured 27.1% of votes in eastern federal states like Berlin. Coming in second were the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with 20.7%, and the United Left (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht) with 13.1%, which got more than double the votes in the east than they did nationwide.

Compared to 2019, the AfD saw an increase of 7.5 percentage points in the east, while all other major parties, except for the steady CDU, experienced declines. The Greens suffered the most, with only 6.4% of the votes in the east - a drop of 7.4 percentage points. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) lost 1.2 percentage points and secured 11.4%, and The Left endured significant losses, falling to just 5.5% with a decrease of 7.2 percentage points. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) also experienced a decrease, getting only 3% of the votes, down 1.6 percentage points from before.

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1. Despite the AfD's strong showing in the east, its influence in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt was not sufficient to surpass the CDU in Parliamentary seats.
2. The European elections have highlighted the stark divide between the political landscape of the east and west of Germany, with the strongest force in the east being the AfD.
3. In contrast to the eastern states, the CDU, the traditional conservative party in Germany, maintained its position as the leading force in the parliamentary elections in the state of Brandenburg.
4. The AfD's surge in popularity in the eastern regions can be attributed to its anti-EU stance, resonating with the feelings of disillusionment and economic struggle shared by many East Germans.
5. Following the European elections, Germany's federal states, including the eastern ones, are preparing for state-level elections in the coming months, which are expected to reflect the broader political trends across the nation.
6. The CDU's steady performance in the electoral landscape of East Germany can be attributed to its historical ties and legacy as the governing party in East Germany at the time of reunification.
7. The presence of the AfD in the European Parliament, along with other far-right and nationalist parties, has sparked debates on the impact of their ideologies on the future direction of the European Union.
8. The upcoming state elections in Thuringia will be closely watched as a barometer of the right-wing populist sentiment in the eastern region, which could influence the broader political landscape of Germany and Europe.
9. The influence of the AfD in Berlin, Germany's capital, remains limited, with its performance in the European elections reflecting its stronger support in the eastern regions of the country.

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