Thuringia and Saxony: AfD triumphs, traffic light parties in the crisis

Thuringia and Saxony: AfD triumphs, traffic light parties in the crisis

Dresden/Erfurt/Berlin (dpa) - A significant change in the German political landscape is evident in the recent state elections in Thuringia and Saxony. The AfD, which is classified by the protection of the constitution as a right -wing extremist, has reached the top position in a state election for the first time in post -war history. In Saxony, on the other hand, the CDU continues to produce the strongest force, but the AfD was also able to significantly increased there. A new player, the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), appeared out of the stand and ensures remarkable election results in both countries.

in Thuringia, the AfD is expected to achieve between 32.8 and 33.2 percent of the vote under its top candidate Björn Höcke, which is a clear increase compared to 2019, where it only reached 23.4 percent. The CDU follows 23.6 to 23.8 percent, which also means a slight increase compared to the last elections. The fact that the left, led by Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow, suffers dramatic losses is of great importance and drops to 12.7 to 12.9 percent, while the newly founded BSW has 15.5 to 15.6 percent.

elections in Saxony

in Saxony, the CDU remains the strongest force with an estimated 31.5 to 31.8 percent, but the AfD pushes closer to the heels with 30.4 to 30.8 percent - a sudden increase compared to 27.5 percent in the last election. Here the BSW achieved 11.5 to 11.9 percent. The left, which has been significantly stronger in the past, only manages to 4.4 to 4.8 percent and is therefore far from its earlier result. As in Thuringia, mini temples in the traffic light coalition have to accept losses: the SPD is 7.4 to 7.6 percent, while the Greens achieve between 5.2 and 5.5 percent.

For the traffic light coalition at the federal level, these election results are a great disappointment. The SPD general secretary Kevin Kühnert announced that he wanted to sharpen his party's profile. "It is about emancipating yourself more," he said, pointing to internal conflicts that could also have contributed to the poor performance. FDP boss Christian Lindner was also affected and emphasized that the party would not be dissuaded from its course.

meaning of the election results

The results of these elections have profound effects on the political balance of power in Thuringia and Saxony. In Thuringia, the red-red-green minority government is under pressure because a coalition is excluded with the AfD. Höcke signals to look for new coalition options, but it is unclear how these developments will affect. Thuringen's CDU boss Mario Voigt sees himself as a responsibility and wants to have discussions with the SPD and the BSW.

In Saxony, the CDU, which has been running a coalition under Prime Minister Kretschmer since 2019, would have the opportunity to form another government. The Greens, on the other hand, have to expect a possible extract from the state parliament, and the left is severely restricted by the 5 percent hurdle.

The election results show that not only a reorientation within the parties is necessary, but they also reveal the future -oriented challenges that the political actors face. With the AfD, which was able to win significant voting profits in both countries, many actors are required to develop new strategies for voters and to master challenges in government formation. What decisions and coalitions we can prepare in the future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the voters have set a strong sign.