German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s struggle to contain the surge of the far-right faces a significant challenge in two upcoming state elections.
Far-right populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) is poised to make gains in Saxony and Thuringia, both situated in the east of the country.
Recent polls show the party is set to achieve at roughly 30 percent of the vote in each region.
This shift could make them the dominant force in these states, set to go to the polls on September 1, which represent more than 6 million Germans.
Both states are experiencing growing support for the AfD, partly due to widespread dissatisfaction with Scholz’s government.
Stock photo of the Reichstag in Berlin. The AfD is critical of the European Union and advocates for reducing Germany’s involvement in EU institutions.
Andrea Astes/Getty Images
The Scholz administration, plagued by internal conflicts and a struggling economy, faces a challenging few months.
Scholz’s coalition—comprising the center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens, and the pro-business Free Democrats—has seen a steady decline in voter support.
At this point they risk dropping under the required level of support needed to govern state legislatures.
Meanwhile, the AfD is capitalizing on anti-immigration sentiments and frustration with the national government.
The party has been vocal about its opposition to Germany’s support for Ukraine and its stance on migration. It remains unlikely that AfD will form a government alone, as other parties are hesitant to partner with its Eurosceptic, anti-establishment outlook.
The AfD secured its first mayoral and county government posts last year, but the party is yet to reach the same levels in state government. In June, national co-leader Tino Chrupalla said that “the sun of government responsibility must rise for us in the east.”
The AfD has stoked fears and frustrations over immigration, using provocative campaign imagery such as a Thuringian poster promising “summer, sun, remigration” with a plane labeled “Deportation-Hansa.”
National AfD leaders have criticized both the ruling parties and the former leader Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union for their immigration policies, especially in light of recent violent incidents attributed to migrants.
August saw a mass stabbing during a festival celebrating the 650th anniversary of Solingen, in the west of the country, where a Syrian extremist due to be deported to Bulgaria killed three people and injured eight others.
Prosecutors revealed 26-year-old Issa Al H—whose surname is omitted for privacy reasons—handed himself in to the police the following day.
AfD co-chairman Alice Weidel, blame the ruling parties for their “policy of uncontrolled mass immigration.”
Scholz acknowledged these challenges, noting that deportations have increased by 30 percent this year, but added that more needs to be done.
“We will have to do everything so that those who aren’t allowed to stay in Germany are sent back and deported,” Scholz said, adding that “we have massively expanded the possibilities to carry out such deportations.”
The proposal has received criticism from opposition leaders who are demanding quicker action.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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