The far right achieved historic results in two regions in local elections on Sunday, September 1. Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned of a political force that “weakens the economy” and “divides society,” he said.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Monday, September 2, for the German far right, which obtained record results in two regional elections in the east of the country, to be excluded from any political majority, a new warning message for the fragile ruling coalition.
A year before the legislative elections, the social democrat described Sunday’s results as “bitter”, which illustrate the unpopularity of the government he has led since the end of 2021.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD), an anti-migrant, Eurosceptic and pro-Russian party, has become the leading political force in Thuringia and is hot on the heels of the conservatives in Saxony, two Länder of the former GDR.
“The AfD is harming Germany”
In a Facebook post, Olaf Scholz urged “all democratic parties to form stable governments without the extreme right.”
“The AfD is harming Germany. It is weakening the economy, dividing society and ruining our country’s reputation,” he added.
The far-right party, on the other hand, is enjoying its success in these regions of the former communist East Germany, which it has made its strongholds. “We have to pack our bags,” AfD co-leader Alice Weidel told the government coalition.
Refusal of other parties to ally with the AfD
The AfD claims to lead Thuringia, where the party won 32.8% of the vote, led by Björn Höcke, one of the most radical figures in the party. All the other parties have already refused to ally with him, but “this antidemocratic firewall cannot be maintained in the long term,” assured Alice Weidel.
In Thuringia, which was the first to bring the Nazis to power in 1932, the AfD had a blocking minority, allowing it in particular to prevent the appointment of judges.
In addition to the AfD, the camp of opponents of arms deliveries to Ukraine is strengthened by the success of the new BSW party, also very virulent against immigration. Founded before the elections around a radical left-wing figure, Sahra Wagenknecht, it obtained 11.8% in Saxony and 15.8% in Thuringia.
In Saxony, the conservatives of the CDU (31.9%) also rule out any alliance with the extreme right (30.6%) but will have difficulty finding a majority in the regional parliament of Dresden.
Major defeats for the SPD
The three coalition parties – Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals – had already been defeated by the conservative opposition and the far right in the European elections in June.
Olaf Scholz’s SPD recorded its worst result in a regional election in Thuringia, with a score of 6.1 percent. It also did worse than five years ago in Saxony, with 7.3 percent.
This is reason to fear the worst for the regional elections to be held on September 22 in Brandenburg, the region around Berlin, currently led by the Social Democrats.
The executive weakened
The executive is paying for the discontent of a part of public opinion, fueled by inflation or the ecological transition that the government is trying to implement. The continual disputes within this tripartite team only fuel frustration.
The rout predicted by the polls was compounded by the impact of the attack that left three dead in Solingen at the end of August. The alleged perpetrator, a 26-year-old Syrian refugee, should have been expelled, which has rekindled the debate on immigration.
The spectacular breakthrough of the BSW party adds to the fragmentation of the political landscape. The movement attempts to combine left-wing economic policies with conservatism on social issues such as immigration and the environment.
