Scholz expresses worry after success of far-right in regional elections

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to the results of two regional elections as “bitter” after the far-right AfD made significant gains and his coalition suffered losses. He urged mainstream parties to form governments without “right-wing extremists”. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) had a strong showing in the weekend elections in Thuringia, becoming the first far-right party to win a state legislature election in Germany since World War Two. In Saxony, the AfD came a close second behind the conservatives. However, despite their gains, other parties have so far refused to collaborate with the AfD to form a majority government in both states.

Scholz expressed concern over the AfD’s performance, emphasizing that the party is damaging Germany by weakening the economy, dividing society, and tarnishing the country’s reputation. With a year until Germany’s national election, the results have also highlighted internal challenges within Scholz’s coalition as all three ruling parties lost votes. Only his SPD comfortably cleared the 5% threshold needed to secure seats in the two states’ parliaments.

In a surprising turn, the populist leftist newcomer, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), founded by a former member of the East German Communist Party, performed better than all three coalition partners in its first state elections, coming in third place.

The election results have implications for the government’s stance on immigration and their support for Ukraine, as these issues were dominant during the campaign. Additionally, the results may lead to increased pressure on the government to take a tougher stance on immigration. (Reuters)