Scholz Calls for United Front Against Far-Right After AfD's Electoral Success
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged mainstream political parties to avoid aligning with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, following its significant victory in the Thuringia regional elections. This victory marks the first time since World War II that a far-right party has won in a German state parliament election.
In addition to Thuringia, the AfD narrowly missed first place in Saxony, a larger neighboring state. The party is officially recognized as right-wing extremist in both Thuringia and Saxony. Björn Höcke, the AfD’s leader in Thuringia, has faced fines for using a Nazi slogan, a charge he denies was intentional.
On Monday, Scholz emphasized the need for a “firewall” to prevent the AfD from gaining power. “All democratic parties must now work together to form stable governments that exclude right-wing extremists,” he said, describing the election outcomes as “troubling” and “bitter.”
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, however, argued that voters in Thuringia and Saxony have given her party a strong mandate to govern. She criticized Scholz’s call to form coalitions without the AfD, claiming it would “deny the democratic rights of a large segment of the population.” Weidel further stated that “firewalls are undemocratic.”
Without support from other parties, the AfD cannot govern alone in Thuringia. The conservative CDU, the second-largest party, has already ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD. To achieve a majority, the CDU would need backing from left-leaning parties. However, past refusals to collaborate with the left-wing Die Linke complicate matters, potentially forcing the CDU to consider an alliance with Sahra Wagenknecht’s more radical leftist faction, BSW, a prospect unappealing to many within the CDU.
Höcke has suggested that many CDU supporters would welcome a partnership with the AfD. With over 30% of the vote, the AfD has achieved a “blocking minority,” enabling it to obstruct judicial appointments and constitutional changes.
Any coalition that forms in Thuringia is likely to be unstable. In Saxony, the conservatives secured 42 seats, narrowly edging out the AfD’s 41 seats, while Wagenknecht’s party captured 15 seats. Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) managed to win only six seats in Thuringia, with no representation for coalition partners the Greens and the liberal FDP. The SPD’s performance was similarly poor in Saxony, where it placed fifth.
The election results reflect widespread dissatisfaction with Germany’s “traffic-light” coalition government, composed of the SPD, Greens, and FDP, each suffering significant losses. This dissatisfaction is likely to exacerbate tensions within the coalition, despite assurances from ministers that they will not dissolve the government.
Weidel asserted that voters had effectively “voted out” the coalition and called on Scholz and his partners to resign, arguing that the electorate desires “a different government and different policies.”
Immigration, particularly regarding refugees and asylum, emerged as the most critical issue for AfD supporters. Despite being excluded from regional and national governance, the AfD’s presence has influenced mainstream political discourse, particularly around migration and asylum policies. Critics argue that the AfD’s entrance into the Bundestag in 2017 has intensified political rhetoric, prompting some, like CDU leader Friedrich Merz, to adopt tougher stances on these issues.
Aslihan Yesilkaya-Yurtbay, the federal chairwoman of the umbrella organization of Turkish communities in Berlin, described the election results as “shocking and frightening.” She noted that many young people of her generation are contemplating leaving Germany, concerned about their future in a country where citizens with migration backgrounds feel increasingly marginalized.
The AfD’s platform also includes halting military aid to Ukraine, a stance shared by Wagenknecht’s BSW. As a third eastern state, Brandenburg, prepares for its election in three weeks, the AfD currently leads in opinion polls, but the Social Democrats and conservatives remain close behind.
