ReutersGermany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a “historic success”, with the far-right party on course for a big victory in the eastern state of Thuringia.
The AfD is set to win 32.9% of the vote, according to a projection for public broadcaster ARD, nine points ahead of the conservative CDU, and far in front of Germany’s three governing parties.
The result would give the far right its first vote win in a state parliament since World War Two, although it has little hope of forming a government in Thuringia.
Some five million Germans were eligible to vote in two elections in the east on Sunday. The AfD is also close behind the CDU in the state parliament vote in Saxony.
In Saxony, an ARD projection gave the CDU 31.8% and the AfD 30.8%, again far ahead of the three parties running the national government – the Social Democrats, Greens and liberal FDP.
The AfD’s top candidate in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, who is a highly controversial figure in Germany, hailed a “historic victory”. He reportedly failed to win a direct mandate for the state parliament, but could still win a seat because he is top of his party list.
Mr Höcke’s party has been designated as right-wing extremist and he has been fined for using a Nazi slogan, although the former history teacher denies knowingly doing so.
With federal elections only a year away, the AfD is second in national opinion polls. Co-leader Alice Weidel said it was clear that voters in both eastern states wanted her party in government: “Without us a stable government is no longer possible at all.”
That message was repeated by Björn Höcke, who suggested there were plenty of CDU voters who would be happy if they worked together.
Without the support of other parties, the AfD cannot govern in Thuringia, and the CDU has made clear it will not consider ruling with the far right.
Mathematically, the conservatives may be able to govern with parties on the left.
“Politicians have promised a lot, particularly concerning migration and foreigners,” AfD voter Michael told the BBC in Thuringia’s state capital, Erfurt.
“But nothing happened. Nothing. Just promises came from these parties. Now I have my party. And I stand with my decision,” he said, standing beside his partner Manuela, who agreed that people wanted change.
According to a survey for public broadcaster ZDF, 36% of under-30s voted for the AfD, far more than any other party.
The biggest issue for AfD voters on Sunday was immigration, and in particular the issue of refugees and asylum.
But the party also wants to stop weapons supplies to Ukraine, as does a new party heading for third place in both states, left-wing populist leader Sahra Wagenknecht’s BSW.
Although she has similar ideas to the AfD on Ukraine, Ms Wagenknecht has, like the other parties, refused to take part in any coalition with the far right.
If the projections are confirmed, the AfD is on course to win 32 seats in the 88-seat Thuringia state parliament, and the CDU 23 seats, with only one of the three parties in the national government represented.
That would give the AfD more than a third of the seats, handing it a blocking minority on decisions that require a two-thirds majority, including changes to the state constitution or appointing judges.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is set to win just six seats, with none for the Greens and liberal FDP.
In Saxony, the conservatives are on course to win 41 seats, just ahead of the AfD with 40, while Sahra Wagenknecht’s party is in third with 16 seats.
Sunday’s elections have underlined the unpopularity of Germany’s ruling “traffic-light” coalition, so named because of the red, yellow and green of the party colours.
A third eastern state, Brandenburg, is due to vote in three weeks’ time and although the AfD is ahead in the opinion polls, the Social Democrats and conservatives are only a few points behind.
While Björn Höcke hailed his party’s victory with supporters in Erfurt, anti-AfD protesters gathered outside the Thuringia state parliament.
The AfD has been classified as right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence in Thuringia as well as Saxony. In May, a German court ruled that the BfV intelligence agency was justified in placing the AfD under observation for suspected extremism.
Among the protesters was Hannah, a local student, who said she was very worried by the result: “I think there are a lot of people who are aware they have Nazi policies and don’t care. Germany has some kind of responsibility on that matter.”
The rise of Sahra Wagenknecht’s populist party had a direct impact on the Left party, which won the last election in Thuringia but has now slipped into fourth place.
Bodo Ramelow. the Left-party state premier of Thuringia, who had led a coalition with the SPD and Greens, said the election campaign had been characterised by fear and that he was “fighting against the normalisation of fascism”.
Ahead of Sunday’s vote, Jewish regional associations in Thuringia and Saxony appealed to voters not to back the AfD.
They said it was not a normal party, but a serious threat to Germany’s democracy, with almost classic extreme right-wing policies.
