Voting Process - What impact will the elections have on the upcoming fall season?
In the European elections, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) knocked the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) out of first place in Thuringia, but didn't win any of the runoff elections for district administrators. Thuringia political scientist Andre Brodocz believes the AfD is in a tough spot. He told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) in Erfurt on Monday that "the AfD is the strongest force, but still far from a majority." Without becoming coalition-capable, the party that's classified as right-wing extremist by the Thuringian Constitutional Protection Agency could upset its voters over time.
Thuringia's Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Georg Maier emphasized that all AfD candidates in the runoff elections lost. "And that proves that the AfD, when it comes to people, don't have people's trust. They don't have anything to offer personnel-wise," he noted. The CDU managed to gain ground in the runoff elections for district administrators and town halls on Sunday, solidifying its role as a significant local party.
Victory for the newcomer
The AfD took 30.7% in the European elections on Sunday and took first place, surpassing the CDU at 23.2%. The Left Party of Thuringia's Minister President Bodo Ramelow suffered the most losses, with 5.7% - 8.1 percentage points lower than in 2019. The SPD received 8.2%, the Greens 4.2%, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) 2.0%. Voter turnout was 61.9%, slightly higher than five years ago.
Brodocz pointed out that the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), a newcomer, poses a challenge for the AfD. He sees it as a "kind of 'alternative to the alternative.'" This is especially true for protest voters. For a party founded this year, the BSW's European election result in Germany overall, and particularly in the east, had huge implications. "This has far-reaching consequences. This is the first time in years that there's a potential majority beyond the AfD in Thuringia," he told dpa.
BSW state chairwoman Katja Wolf considered the result a win for the state election campaign. "That's obviously a huge success. With which I didn't even calculate," Wolf told dpa.
The SPD leader, Maier, confessed that his party didn't do well in highlighting its issues during the European elections. "We need to put on the agenda that we have the lowest average pensions and the lowest average wages in eastern Germany."
Brodocz believes there are more than just protest voters in the AfD. Despite individual scandals involving AfD politicians, he estimates that two-thirds of AfD voters are committed to the party. "They're connected to the AfD because they identify with its political demands."
CDU continues to challenge AfD in state election
The relatively good performance of the CDU, aiming for a change in government after the state parliament election, was viewed differently by Brodocz. The party, led by Mario Voigt, maintained its position and confirmed the expectation of a duel with the AfD. "However, the gap with the AfD, based on polls, wasn't significantly reduced."
In the European election, more than 1.7 million Thuringians were called on to decide on the composition of the European Parliament. According to information from the state election office, CDU politician Marion Walsmann and Thuringia's AfD deputy René Aust will be elected. Aust will lead the future AfD delegation in the European Parliament, as co-party leader Alice Weidel announced.
Power shift in Erfurt
1.3 million people also voted on Sunday to decide who should become a district administrator or mayor. Out of nine runoff elections, the AfD failed in all of them. In the district council and city council elections two weeks ago, the party had succeeded as the leading force in some places. Brodocz noted that there are further opportunities for political influence outside the party on the right wing. "This won't impact people's daily lives directly yet."
On Sunday, Erfurt witnessed a change in power during the runoff election. Andreas Bausewein, the SPD candidate and incumbent Oberburgermeister, received 35.8% of the votes, while Andrew Horn from the CDU won with 64.2% of the votes. Bausewein had faced intense criticism in recent times, particularly over his handling of staff disputes at the Erfurt Theater. He'd been holding office for 18 years.
Similarly, in Gera, the incumbent, Julian Vonarb, was defeated by Kurt Dannenberg from the CDU in the runoff election. A shocking turn of events occurred in the Unstrut-Hainich district when long-serving SPD district administrator Harald Zanker lost his position to Thomas Ahke from the Free Voters.
