The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was on course to become the strongest party in a state election for the first time on Sunday in eastern Germany and was nearly tied with mainstream conservatives in a second vote, according to exit polls.
Germany’s AfD won its first regional election, securing between 30.5% and 33.5% of the vote in the former East German state of Thuringia, exit polls indicated on Sunday, September 1.
The AfD is also running neck-and-neck with the conservative CDU for first place in Saxony, where another regional election was held on Sunday, according to the polls. Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) appeared to have performed poorly in both states, with results ranging between 6.5% and 8.5%.
These elections in Thuringia and Saxony occurred just over a week after a suspected Islamist knife attack, which left three people dead and ignited a fierce debate over immigration in Germany. Polling stations closed at 6 pm, with the first exit polls expected shortly after.
The AfD, founded in 2013 as an anti-euro group before shifting to an anti-immigration platform, has leveraged the divisions within Berlin’s three-way coalition to climb in opinion polls. In June’s European Parliament elections, the party achieved a record 15.9% overall, performing particularly well in eastern Germany, where it became the leading force.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, in a post on social media platform X on Sunday, urged voters to support the AfD to “not only change the future in Saxony and Thuringia, but also bring about a political turnaround throughout Germany.”
Saxony, the most populous of the former East German states, has been a conservative stronghold since reunification. Thuringia, on the other hand, is more rural and is currently led by the far-left Die Linke, a successor to East Germany’s ruling communist party.
Another former East German state, Brandenburg, is also scheduled to hold an election later in September, where polls show the AfD leading with around 24% support.
The lead-up to the elections in Saxony and Thuringia was dominated by a surge of anti-immigration sentiment following a deadly stabbing in the western city of Solingen. The alleged attacker, a 26-year-old Syrian man with suspected ties to the Islamic State group, was supposed to be deported but managed to evade authorities.
In response to the public outcry, the government announced stricter knife controls and tougher rules for migrants in Germany illegally. At a memorial for the attack victims on Sunday, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized that “the majority of people in our country want to live together peacefully in a society guided by humanity and not by hatred.”
Alongside the AfD, a new party, BSW, has gained traction in the eastern states with its criticism of the Berlin government and its opposition to military aid for Ukraine. Founded in January by the controversial politician Sahra Wagenknecht after she left Die Linke, BSW has gained support with its dovish stance toward Russia and calls for a severe crackdown on immigration.
BSW made a strong showing in June’s European elections, capturing around six percent of the German vote, and is polling a solid third in Saxony and Thuringia. With other parties refusing to cooperate with the AfD, BSW could play a decisive role in Thuringia and Saxony, despite significant policy differences with potential partners, particularly on Ukraine.
