Germany's Brandenburg state holds election, far-right AfD likely to win another prize By Reuters
Written by Sarah Marsh
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germans in the state of Brandenburg went to the polls in regional elections on Sunday and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is expected to finish first, successfully advancing in other eastern states and defeating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats. one of their traditional strongholds.
The AfD became the first far-right party to win a national election in Germany since the Second World War, in Thuringia, on September 1 and just missed out on first place in Saxony on the same day.
However, other parties refuse to cooperate with the AfD in coalition governments and given that it did not win a majority in Thuringia or Saxony and is unlikely to do so in Brandenburg, the party should not be part of the regional government.
The AfD is one of Europe's far-right parties that capitalize on concerns about the economic downturn, immigration and the war in Ukraine – concerns that are particularly strong in former communist Germany. It also wants to profit from the discontent in terms of fighting in the alliance of the three Scholz organizations.
Voting closes in Brandenburg at 18:00 (1600 GMT) and the first exit polls and predictions will be announced as soon as voting closes.
Brandenburg's popular SPD prime minister, Dietmar Woidke, on Sunday voted in Forst near the Polish border and said he was optimistic about the result.
“We have been told a little bit that the situation is gone. But I believe that, overall, we have shown that we as Brandenburg SPD have our strength,” Woidke told reporters.
Hans-Christoph Berndt, the AfD's candidate for Brandenburg state premier, said he was also optimistic about his party's prospects compared to the last state election in 2019.
“If we continue to receive the same support we have seen in the past weeks and months, things in Germany will start to improve,” said Berndt, adding that although the election is important, the future of Brandenburg will not be decided by the government alone. Sunday's result.
An AfD victory in the state election would be a bit of an embarrassment for the Social Democrats (SPD), which has won elections in Brandenburg and has ruled the state of 2.5 million people since East and West Germany were reunified in 1990.
It will also raise further questions about the suitability of Scholz, Germany's most unpopular chancellor in history, to lead the party in next year's general election.
Woidke, has largely avoided campaigning with Scholz, who lives in the state capital, Potsdam, and has again criticized the behavior and principles of the ruling coalition in the country.
Instead, he has tried to highlight economic achievements in the five years since the last federal election such as the opening of the Tesla factory (NASDAQ: ) and Brandenburg Airport – which serves Berlin and is now the third most important airport in Germany.
Narrow the Gap
In recent weeks, opinion polls have shown the SPD narrowing the gap with the AfD.
A poll published by auditor Forschungsgruppe Wahlen on Thursday put the AfD at 28% in Brandenburg and the SPD at 27%, followed by the Conservatives at 14% and the leftist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at 13%.
“My biggest challenge in this legislative session … is to not allow extremists to speak in this country again,” Woidke said at a campaign event on Tuesday.
He has threatened to resign if his party falls behind the AfD. AfD national party leader Tino Chrupalla said Scholz must do the same.
“It is time for this government to face the consequences after this election,” said Chrupalla.
Both of Scholz's small coalitions, the Free Democrats and the Greens, look set to struggle to get the 5% needed to enter the provincial parliament, the survey shows.
At the national level, the three parties in Scholz's coalition are now polling below the opposition, although political analysts say much can change before federal elections in September 2025.
