BERLIN, Sept 22 (Askume) – The German state of Brandenburg holds regional elections on Sunday, with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party expected to follow successes in other eastern states and defeat the Socialist Party led by Chancellor Ola Ralf Scholz.
The Alternative for Germany became the first right-wing party to win a German state election after World War II . They won the election in Thuringia on 1 September and narrowly missed out on first place in Saxony the same day.
However, other parties have ruled out working with the AfD in a coalition government, and since the party has not yet won a majority in Thuringia or Saxony and is unlikely to win a majority in Brandenburg, the party is considering becoming part of a regional government. But it is not ready yet.
Alternative for Germany is one of a number of right-wing groups in Europe exploiting concerns about the recession, immigration and the war in Ukraine – concerns which are particularly strong in the former communist East Germany .It also sought to capitalise on discontent caused by infighting in Schulz’s three-party federal coalition.
Voting in Brandenburg will close at 6 pm (1600 GMT), with the first exit polls and preliminary forecasts released shortly after polls close.
Hans-Christoph Berndt, a candidate for governor in the German state of Brandenburg, casts his vote in the town of Golsen, south of Berlin, expressing optimism about the party’s chances compared to the last state election in 2019.
“If we continue to receive the same level of support that we have received in recent weeks and months, the situation in Germany will start to improve,” Berndt said. He also said that although the election was important, Brandenburg’s future would not be decided by Sunday’s result.
A victory by the Alternative for Germany in the state elections would be particularly embarrassing for the Social Democrats (SPD) in a state of 2.5 million people.
It will also raise questions about the suitability of Scholz, Germany’s most unpopular chancellor ever, to lead the party into next year’s federal election.
Dietmar Woidke, the popular Social Democratic Chancellor of Brandenburg, refrained from running against Scholz, who lives in the state capital, Potsdam. Woidke also criticized the actions and policies of the country’s ruling coalition.
Instead, he sought to highlight economic achievements in the five years since the last state election, such as the opening of the Tesla (TSLA.O) factory and Brandenburg Airport – which serves Berlin and is now Germany’s third airport.
reduce the gap
Polls in recent weeks have shown the gap between the Social Democrats and the Alternative for Germany is narrowing.
A survey released on Thursday by Brandenburg pollster Forschungsgruppe Wahlen showed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 28% of the vote, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) 27% and the conservative party 14% while the Sahara Wagenknecht Block (BSW) got 13%.
“My biggest challenge in this legislative term is to make sure that right-wing extremists are no longer allowed to have a voice in this country,” Woik said during a campaign stop Tuesday.
He threatened to resign if his party formed a coalition with the Alternative for Germany. AfD national party leader Tino Kruppala said Scholz should do the same.
“The time has come for this government to face the consequences after the state elections,” Kripala said.
Opinion polls show that Scholz’s two junior coalition partners, the Free Democrats and the Greens, appear to be struggling to get the 5% of votes needed to enter the state parliament.
Nationally, the three parties in Scholz’s coalition currently have fewer votes than the opposition conservatives , though political analysts say much could change before the federal election in September 2025.
