The far-right AfD party emerges victorious in local polls throughout the east, while facing setbacks in run-off votes in Thuringia.
The AfD emerges victorious in the recent municipal elections across Germany's eastern states, placing the most politicians in the local parliaments. They've gained significant support in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, with noteworthy labels as right-wing extremist by their respective state security authorities. Meanwhile, in Brandenburg, they're classified as a suspicion case. While the AfD was defeated in Thuringia, they lost all district council elections for district presidents.
Brandenburg showcased considerable growth for the AfD, jumping 9.8 percentage points to 25.7%, securing their number one spot in the state. The CDU followed closely with a 1% increase, standing at 19.3%. As for the SPD, they took the mantle as the third strongest force with 16.6%, followed by the Left at 7.8% and the Greens at 6.7%. However, the FDP, along with the three parties that make up the traffic light coalition in the federal government, failed to maintain their presence. 2.1 million eligible voters participated in the election, making it a significant event for the state election happening in September, with the SPD currently leading under Minister President Dietmar Woidke.
Saxony-Anhalt saw exceptional growth from the AfD, rising 11.6 percentage points to 28.1%. The CDU state government came in second with 26.7%, gaining 2.1% more than in 2019. The SPD fell to third place with 11.9% and a decrease of 1.8%. The Left received 8.3%, the Greens 4.5%, and the FDP 3.4%.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the AfD narrowly outperformed the CDU, receiving 25.6% of the votes for the Schwerin and Rostock district councils and city councils. The CDU obtained 24%. This result will move the AfD into a position of power with 136 seats in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's district councils, compared to the CDU's 126 seats. The SPD landed in third place with 12.7%, followed by the Left at 8.8%. The Greens achieved 5.5%, and the FDP 2.8%.
Saxony's municipal elections still await final counting, but the AfD seems poised for victory in the majority of regions.
Western Germany's local elections also took place, with the CDU dominating the Saarland, capturing 34.4% of the votes for the six district councils, placing them ahead of the SPD with 29.9%. The CDU witnessed a slight surge of 0.4 percentage points, while the SPD experienced a slight fall of 0.1 percentage point. The AfD claimed the third position with 10.4%, boasting an increase of 1.9 points. The Greens saw a decline of 5.3 points, settling at 7.3%, while the Left gained 4.1%, having lost 3.6 percentage points. The newly formed alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) claimed 3.6% of the votes. The FDP achieved 3.9%.
The municipal election outcomes in Baden-Württemberg, Hamburg, and Rhineland-Palatinate still need to be decided.
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- The run-off election in Thuringia saw the AfD facing challenges, despite their success in the initial local polls in the East German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia.
- Despite the AfD's victory in the County council elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the party faced several bankruptcies within its ranks.
- The far-right party, AfD, garnered significant support in the local elections in Erfurt, a city located in the eastern state of Thuringia.
- In the run-off elections in East Germany, the CDU and SPD managed to keep the AfD at bay, demonstrating a strong presence in the face of the right-wing party.
- The local elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania saw the SPD, CDU, and FDP losing ground to the AfD, prompting concerns in the political circles of these parties.
- The run-off elections in Brandenburg saw a tight race between the CDU and the AfD, with the far-right party narrowly coming out on top due to a surge in their support.
- The AfD's performance in the recent local elections in Saxony was a stark contrast to their setbacks in the run-off elections held in Thuringia.
- The far-right party AfD faced several challenges in the European elections, following their victories in the local elections in the East and their defeats in the run-off elections in Thuringia.
- The local elections in the region of Thuringia highlighted a growing divide between the far-right AfD and the mainstream political parties such as the SPD and the CDU.
- Despite the AfD's strong showing in the local elections in the East German states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, their performance in the run-off elections in Thuringia revealed a complex political landscape in East Germany.
