Germany: Far-right AfD seeks gains in Saxony, Thuringia vote

State elections in Thuringia and Saxony have begun as polling stations opened at 08:00 local time (0600 GMT). 

In Thuringia, some 1.66 million are eligible to vote. In Saxony, that figure stands at 3.3 million.

The first projections will be available after the polls close at 18:00 (1600 GMT).

 

The elections are likely to have a huge impact on Germany’s political landscape.

The rise of the AfD means that for the first time in post-war German history, a far-right party could win a state election.

Such an outcome would be seen as a rebuke for Scholz and threaten his already fractious coalition government.

The regional polls are also viewed as a barometer for the federal elections due next year.

Among the topics that dominated the election campaign are Russia’s war against Ukraine, security and illegal immigration.

Many eastern Germans have fears about the Ukraine war and are skeptical about Germany’s support for Kyiv.

The AfD and BSW have tapped into these fears and opposed support for Ukraine.

The run-up to polling day, however, has been dominated by a heated debate over immigration triggered by a deadly knife attack in the western town of Solingen.

The alleged attacker, a 26-year-old Syrian man, was slated for deportation but evaded attempts by authorities to remove him.

The incident forced Scholz’s government to announce new measures to combat armed crime and illegal immigration.

The AfD and BSW have sharply criticized the government and called for a radical crackdown on the influx of illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers.

Saxony is the most populous of the former East German states and has been a conservative stronghold since German reunification.

It is a region of great contrasts. It is known for magnificent Baroque buildings, and internationally acclaimed research — but also for anti-immigrant demonstrations and right-wing extremism.

Saxony is also known for its left-wing extremist tendencies.

The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has headed Saxony's government since 1990. State Premier Michael Kretschmer has led a coalition government together with the Greens and the SPD since state elections in 2019.

Thuringia, meanwhile, is more rural and the only state currently led by far-left Die Linke, a successor of East Germany's ruling communist party.

The state is famous for its poets, winter sports, scientific research and delicious sausages.

It is a relatively small federal state with only around 2.1 million inhabitants.

Thuringia is one of the strongholds of the far-right AfD. The leader of the AfD Thuringia parliamentary group, which entered the state's parliament in 2014, is Björn Höcke. He belongs to the hard-right, nationalist wing of the AfD, and is considered extremely influential. 

 

Voters in Saxony and Thuringia are casting their ballots on Sunday to elect new state legislatures.

Polls are scheduled to open at 8 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) in both states and close at 6 p.m.

The counting of votes will start immediately after polls close, with the first exit polls expected shortly after.

Far-right and populist parties are set to do well in both states.

Opinion polls show the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is leading in Thuringia and coming a close second in Saxony.

They also project a strong showing for the upstart, left-wing Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).

Germany’s ruling coalition — comprising Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the environmentalist Greens and the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP) — is faring poorly in the polls.

While the SPD is polling around 6% in both states, the Greens and the FDP lag even further behind.

sri/wd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)