Germany’s far-right makes big gains in state elections
5 years, 4 months ago

Germany’s far-right makes big gains in state elections

CNN  

CNN — A far-right party scored its strongest-ever results in two key state elections in eastern Germany on Sunday, finishing second behind the country’s major parties on the same day that Europe marked the 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland. The results represent a blow to Merkel’s ruling coalition with the SPD, and will be viewed as a victory for the AfD, which took 27.5% of votes in Saxony and 23.5% in Brandenburg – a significant increase on state elections five years ago, with the party almost tripling its share in Saxony and doubling it in Brandenburg. “Despite spectacular gains in Sunday’s state elections, the right-wing AfD did not relegate the SPD in Brandenburg or the CDU in Saxony into second place,” he said in a statement. “In the – still unlikely – case of snap federal elections early next year, Germany would probably end up with a CDU/CSU-Green coalition” led by Merkel’s successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, he said.

Results Germany Party State Elections Saxony Brandenburg Cdu Afd Spd Merkel  second  party  afd  big  results  germanys  gains  makes  saxony  farright  germany  merkels  state  elections

History of this topic

Thousands protest at far-right AfD rally as German election campaign begins
3 days, 23 hours ago

Thousands protest at far-right AfD rally as German election campaign begins

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. At a news conference in Hamburg, Mr Merz concentrated …

Germany: How rise of right and Musk's involvement have stirred anxiety
4 days, 11 hours ago

Germany: How rise of right and Musk's involvement have stirred anxiety

Firstpost  

Now Germany wants a clearer European position and is wary of Trump 2.0. Musk’s comments have stirred Germany’s pot of anxiety Founded in 2013, the AfD has built its base on staunch opposition to immigration and criticism of European Union policies. This election marks a pivotal moment in Germany’s political trajectory, as the right and Eurosceptic Alternative for Germany has …

JD Vance calls Elon Musk’s piece praising far-right German party AfD ‘interesting’
Trending News
1 week, 5 days ago

JD Vance calls Elon Musk’s piece praising far-right German party AfD ‘interesting’

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Vice President-elect JD Vance took to X to call an …

Germany accuses Musk of election meddling over AfD support: What we know
1 week, 6 days ago

Germany accuses Musk of election meddling over AfD support: What we know

Al Jazeera  

Elon Musk praised far-right party Alternative for Germany and its leader Alice Weidel in an opinion piece for German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Germany’s government accused US billionaire Elon Musk on Monday of interfering in its upcoming February election after he threw his support behind the far-right party, Alternative for Germany in X posts and an opinion piece published by …

Elon Musk backs far-right party AfD in German newspaper opinion piece
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Elon Musk backs far-right party AfD in German newspaper opinion piece

Hindustan Times  

Elon Musk reiterated his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, in an opinion piece published by the Welt am Sonntag newspaper less than two months before Germans go to the polls. Elon Musk backs Germany's far-right party AfD in German newspaper opinion piece “The AfD, even though it is described as far-right, represents a political realism …

German President Steinmeier dissolves parliament, sets snap elections for February 2025 after collapse of Olaf Scholz’s
2 weeks, 5 days ago

German President Steinmeier dissolves parliament, sets snap elections for February 2025 after collapse of Olaf Scholz’s

Live Mint  

BERLIN -President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday dissolved Germany's lower house of parliament to pave the way for snap elections on Feb. 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition. "Especially in difficult times, like now, stability requires a government capable of acting, and reliable majorities in parliament," which was why early elections were the right way forward for …

German president dissolves parliament to pave way for February 23 snap elections
2 weeks, 5 days ago

German president dissolves parliament to pave way for February 23 snap elections

CNN  

Berlin Reuters — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday dissolved the country’s lower house of parliament to pave the way for snap elections on February 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-way coalition. “Especially in difficult times, like now, stability requires a government capable of acting, and reliable majorities in parliament,” which was why early elections were the …

Scholz dismisses Musk’s assertion that only a far-right party can ‘save’ Germany
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Scholz dismisses Musk’s assertion that only a far-right party can ‘save’ Germany

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday dismissed an assertion by Elon Musk that only a far-right party can “save Germany,” but said that freedom of opinion “also goes for multibillionaires.” Germany is expected to vote in an early election on Feb. 23 after Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalize the country’s …

Elon Musk backs Germany’s far-right AfD before elections
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Elon Musk backs Germany’s far-right AfD before elections

Al Jazeera  

Germans expected to vote on February 23 after a centre-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapses. “Only the AfD can save Germany,” Musk wrote on Friday in a post on his social media platform, X. Europe’s largest economy is expected to vote on February 23 after a centre-left coalition government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed. Radtke called …

Elon Musk throws his support behind Germany's extremist far-right
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Elon Musk throws his support behind Germany's extremist far-right

Salon  

Elon Musk, the billionaire whose support for Donald Trump has given him the president-elect's ear, is throwing his support behind Alternative for Germany, a far-right party that critics describe as xenophobic, extremist and perhaps even a successor to the Nazi Party. The conservative Christian Democratic Union, helmed by Friedrich Merz, currently leads in the polls, with nearly double the support …

Germany's Scholz calls confidence vote as coalition falls apart, elections loom
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Germany's Scholz calls confidence vote as coalition falls apart, elections loom

Hindustan Times  

Germany's embattled Chancellor Olaf Scholz will face parliament Monday to trigger the process towards February 23 elections, in the hope that he can weather a political crisis and win a second term. The political contest comes at a time when Europe's top economy is struggling to revive its stuttering export-led industrial sector amid high energy prices and tough competition from …

Germany is heading for federal elections – here’s what you need to know
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Germany is heading for federal elections – here’s what you need to know

CNN  

CNN — Germany, Europe’s largest economy and normally a pillar of stability, is facing snap elections next year after Chancellor Olaf Scholz lost a vote of confidence. Leonie von Randow, a political reporter at German broadcaster WELT TV who will be covering the election campaign, told CNN that Merz “knows a thing or two about the economy, and that is …

Germany's far-right AfD party nominates a candidate for chancellor in the upcoming election
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Germany's far-right AfD party nominates a candidate for chancellor in the upcoming election

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The far-right Alternative for Germany …

Germany’s far-right AfD party nominates a candidate for chancellor in the upcoming election
1 month, 1 week ago

Germany’s far-right AfD party nominates a candidate for chancellor in the upcoming election

Associated Press  

BERLIN — The far-right Alternative for Germany party on Saturday presented its candidate for chancellor in the country’s upcoming election. But Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which was founded in 2013, has been getting strong approval rates and is currently the second strongest party in the country after the center-right Christian Democrats. The party’s fierce anti-immigration stance and revelations about …

Germany’s far-right AfD picks chancellor candidate first time
1 month, 1 week ago

Germany’s far-right AfD picks chancellor candidate first time

Al Jazeera  

Alice Weidel’s nomination comes before snap elections expected in February next year. The far-right Alternative for Germany has named party leader Alice Weidel as its first chancellor nominee, before snap elections expected in February next year. A west German leading a party that is strongest in Germany’s former communist east, she worked for Goldman Sachs and Allianz Global Investors and …

Germany set for snap elections in February
2 months ago

Germany set for snap elections in February

Al Jazeera  

Germany is set to hold snap elections on February 23, in an effort to establish a stable government following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition last week. The agreement between Scholz’s Social Democratic Party and the conservative opposition Christian Democratic Union and their Bavarian allies the Christian Social Union aims to restore political stability at a time when …

Germany’s far-right AfD to expel members over links to ‘militant’ groups
2 months, 1 week ago

Germany’s far-right AfD to expel members over links to ‘militant’ groups

Al Jazeera  

The political party that made gains in regional polls is defended by its leaders while labelled ‘right-wing extremist’ by Germany’s security services. The far-right Alternative for Germany political party has said it will throw out three of its members who have been arrested on suspicion of having joined an “extremist” paramilitary group. The AfD leadership in the eastern state of …

Germany's Social Democrats Hold Back Far Right In State Vote, A Victory For Scholz
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Germany's Social Democrats Hold Back Far Right In State Vote, A Victory For Scholz

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING POTSDAM, Germany — The Social Democrats of Chancellor Olaf Scholz won an election in the eastern German state of Brandenburg on Sunday, gaining a narrow edge over a growing far-right party, according to the vote count. A new leftist movement, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, or BSW, came in third with 13.5% while the center-right Christian Democrats took …

Far-right expecting big gains in Germany
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Far-right expecting big gains in Germany

China Daily  

Right-wing Alternative for Germany Brandenburg top candidate Hans-Christoph Berndt, AfD party co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, Thuringia AfD party leader Bjoern Hoecke and Saxony AfD leader Joerg Urban react after first exit polls of the Brandenburg state election in Potsdam, Germany, Sept 22, 2024. People in the German state of Brandenburg voted in a regional election on Sunday that …

German chancellor's Social Democrats seek to hold off far right in Brandenburg state election
3 months, 3 weeks ago

German chancellor's Social Democrats seek to hold off far right in Brandenburg state election

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A state election …

Can a single election in eastern Germany put a stop to Europe’s far-right surge?
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Can a single election in eastern Germany put a stop to Europe’s far-right surge?

The Independent  

Voters in the German state of Brandenburg go to the polls this weekend, in the last of a trio of regional elections in the former East Germany that are seen as a gauge of the political climate – not just in these states, not just in Germany, but across Europe. While there are specific aspects of the history, geography and …

The ordinary Germans turning to the far-Right
4 months, 1 week ago

The ordinary Germans turning to the far-Right

The Telegraph  

What does a Nazi look like in 2024? A week ago, the results of local state elections in Thuringia, in the Eastern part of the country, sent shockwaves across Europe and beyond, with a far-Right party winning a German state election for the first time since the Second World War. The extreme right wing AfD party captured nearly 33 per …

German elections: The rise of populism in Germany has important lessons for Starmer
4 months, 1 week ago

German elections: The rise of populism in Germany has important lessons for Starmer

The Independent  

Whether they like it or not, Germans and Brits are beginning to resemble each other. The Free Democrats, the smallest coalition party, garnered less than 1 per cent of the vote in Saxony last Sunday, ending up behind the Animal Protection Party. As for the opposition Christian Democrats, the CDU, it should be streets ahead, but in its acerbic post-Merkel …

​Hollow middle: On the regional election results in Germany
4 months, 1 week ago

​Hollow middle: On the regional election results in Germany

The Hindu  

The regional elections in the eastern German States of Thuringia and Saxony — Brandenburg goes to the polls on September 22 — have captured attention because of the rise of the Alternative for Germany, the far-right party with neo-Nazi roots. The party, which opposed Germany’s continued military assistance for Ukraine and campaigned for better social protection for workers and tougher …

Germany's far right wins regional poll
4 months, 1 week ago

Germany's far right wins regional poll

China Daily  

This photo taken on July 5, 2024 shows a view of Elbe River in Dresden, Germany. Dresden, located in the eastern part of Germany, is the capital of German state Saxony Germany's far right has achieved its most significant regional electoral triumph since World War II, as the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party won a major victory in the …

Germany's far right wins regional poll
4 months, 1 week ago

Germany's far right wins regional poll

China Daily  

By JONATHAN POWELL | China Daily | Updated: 2024-09-03 09:03 This photo taken on July 5, 2024 shows a view of Elbe River in Dresden, Germany. Dresden, located in the eastern part of Germany, is the capital of German state Saxony Germany's far right has achieved its most significant regional electoral triumph since World War II, as the Alternative for …

The far-right’s ‘historic’ election win is a body blow for the reunified Germany
4 months, 1 week ago

The far-right’s ‘historic’ election win is a body blow for the reunified Germany

The Independent  

The elections that took place on Sunday, in two regions of Germany, amounted to a massive vote of no confidence in the governing coalition in Berlin, and brought the far right within touching distance of power in parts of Germany for the first time since the Second World War. But both her anticipated success and the strength of AfD in …

'Europe’s long rightward lurch continues' as Germany's AfD projected to win
4 months, 1 week ago

'Europe’s long rightward lurch continues' as Germany's AfD projected to win

Raw Story  

Germany's far-right party Alternative for Germany is projected to win in Sunday's statewide elections in a political earthquake—the first time a far-right party has won an election in Germany since the 1930s Nazi-era. Today's election results are seen as a barometer of public sentiment toward German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition ahead of Germany's next national election in a little over …

A far-right German party's win has some fearing for the future. Others worry of a return to the past
4 months, 1 week ago

A far-right German party's win has some fearing for the future. Others worry of a return to the past

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far right makes historic gains
4 months, 1 week ago

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far right makes historic gains

NPR  

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far right makes historic gains toggle caption Markus Schreiber/AP BERLIN — Voters in two states in eastern Germany have delivered a far-right party its best result since World War II. The Alternative for Germany, known by the German initials AfD, a nationalist party that routinely blames immigrants for many of Germany’s problems, has …

A far-right German party’s win has some worrying of a return to the past
4 months, 1 week ago

A far-right German party’s win has some worrying of a return to the past

LA Times  

People stand in front of the landmark Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Sept. 2, 2024. “I don’t want to bring her up in a hostile environment.” The couple talked about a possible move west to Cologne — “people there are really open-minded” — but Kaempf is reluctant to take their daughter far from the toddler’s 91-year-old great-great-grandmother and other family …

A far-right party is looking for wins in 2 state elections in eastern Germany
4 months, 2 weeks ago

A far-right party is looking for wins in 2 state elections in eastern Germany

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

German far-right set for wins in key polls after attack
4 months, 2 weeks ago

German far-right set for wins in key polls after attack

The Hindu  

Voters in two former East German states go to the polls Sunday in elections expected to deal a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government and deliver big gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany. Opinion polls have the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany ahead in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony, while also predicting a strong showing for the upstart, …

A German far-right party wins its first state election and is in contention in a second
4 months, 2 weeks ago

A German far-right party wins its first state election and is in contention in a second

LA Times  

Björn Höcke, top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, speaks at a campaign rally in Suhl, Germany, on Aug. 13. A new party founded by a prominent leftist also made an immediate impact, while the parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unpopular national government obtained extremely weak results. The CDU’s national general secretary, Carsten Linnemann, said that …

Germany’s far right gets a boost from past traumas haunting industrial east
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Germany’s far right gets a boost from past traumas haunting industrial east

The Hindu  

In the relatively well-off city of Zwickau, in Germany’s former Communist East, economic uncertainty and a turbulent history have combined to drive support for the far right ahead of a key regional election. “People are afraid of losing everything they have built up again over the years,” said Zwickau’s Mayor, Constance Arndt. To understand why “the mood is so bad” …

Germany’s far right predicted to make biggest gains since Nazi era in key state elections
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Germany’s far right predicted to make biggest gains since Nazi era in key state elections

LA Times  

Bjoern Hoecke of the far-right Alternative for Germany party speaks at a rally in Suhl, Germany, this month. It’s become a painful pattern for Germany’s political mainstream: Once again, a far-right party that for many evokes the country’s Nazi past is poised for an unprecedented show of electoral strength. The populist-nationalist Alternative for Germany, or AfD — which in a …

Germany's grandmothers take on the far-right ahead of key state elections
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Germany's grandmothers take on the far-right ahead of key state elections

NPR  

Germany's grandmothers take on the far-right ahead of key state elections toggle caption Sascha Thelen/picture alliance/dpa/Getty Images ERFURT, Germany — Amid the throng and bustle of Saturday shoppers in the cathedral city of Erfurt, a group of women in their 70s has gathered on a medieval market square, holding signs that read Omas gegen Rechts — Grandmas against the far-right. …

German far-right party reelects its leaders after election gains while opponents protest
6 months, 2 weeks ago

German far-right party reelects its leaders after election gains while opponents protest

Associated Press  

BERLIN — The far-right Alternative for Germany reelected its leadership duo Saturday after the party made gains in the recent European election, while thousands of people protested against its convention and some demonstrators tried to block roads or clashed with police. Two officers were kicked in the head while a politician was being escorted through a group of protesters and …

German far right gains as governing parties decline, but conservatives lead in European election
7 months ago

German far right gains as governing parties decline, but conservatives lead in European election

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Germany’s unpopular governing parties sank to feeble results and the far-right Alternative for Germany made gains in Sunday’s vote for the European Parliament, while the mainstream conservative opposition was the country’s strongest political force by a distance, projections showed. After a campaign in which Scholz played a prominent role, the Social Democrats fell more than 10 points short …

Far right surges in EU vote, topping polls in Germany, France, Austria
7 months ago

Far right surges in EU vote, topping polls in Germany, France, Austria

Al Jazeera  

Far-right parties have made significant gains in the European Union parliamentary elections, delivering humiliating defeats to the parties of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. National Rally was projected to win about 33 percent of the vote and 31 seats in the incoming European Parliament – more than double the tally of the …

A candidate for Germany’s key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
8 months, 1 week ago

A candidate for Germany’s key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections

Associated Press  

BERLIN — A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left party in next month’s election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday. The main center-left grouping, the Party of European Socialists, which includes the German Social Democrats, on Saturday issued a declaration calling the rise of the far …

A candidate for Germany’s key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
8 months, 1 week ago

A candidate for Germany’s key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections

LA Times  

A candidate for the center-left party of German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, left, was attacked while putting up campaign posters in Dresden. A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left party in next month’s election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday. The main center-left grouping, the Party …

As EU election campaigns kick off in Germany, the Ukraine war, rise of far right are dominant themes
8 months, 2 weeks ago

As EU election campaigns kick off in Germany, the Ukraine war, rise of far right are dominant themes

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Several German parties on Saturday kicked off their campaigns for the election of the European Parliament in June with a focus on issues such as the war in Ukraine and support by many European voters for far-right nationalist parties across the continent. Responding to many German voters’ fears their country could be drawn into Ukraine’s war with Russia …

The popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany
11 months, 2 weeks ago

The popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Hundreds of thousands of people in Germany turned out for a third weekend to protest the popularity and policies of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party. A rally in Hamburg took place Sunday with a theme of “For diversity and our democracy - Hamburg stands united against the AfD.” Organizers said that up to 100,000 people …

The popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany
11 months, 2 weeks ago

The popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Hundreds of thousands of people …

Far-right AfD leader says Brexit vote is a ‘model for Germany’
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Far-right AfD leader says Brexit vote is a ‘model for Germany’

The Hindu  

The co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party said on Monday that the Brexit vote was an example to follow for the EU’s most populous country. “It is a model for Germany, that one can make a sovereign decision like that,” Alice Weidel said while also adding that it would address a “democratic deficit”. But if the changes sought …

German far-right party assailed over report of extremist meeting
11 months, 4 weeks ago

German far-right party assailed over report of extremist meeting

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Germany’s governing parties assailed a resurgent far-right opposition party on Thursday over a report that extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship, which has led to a string of protests in recent days. National polls currently show AfD in second place with support of over 20% — behind the …

Demonstrations against the far right held in Germany following a report on a deportation meeting
1 year ago

Demonstrations against the far right held in Germany following a report on a deportation meeting

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Thousands of people gathered in Germany on Sunday for demonstrations against the far right, among them Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his foreign minister, following a report that extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including German citizens, if they took power. Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock represent the Potsdam area in the German …

Germany’s Scholz condemns alleged plot by far-right groups to deport millions if they take power
1 year ago

Germany’s Scholz condemns alleged plot by far-right groups to deport millions if they take power

Associated Press  

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday sharply condemned alleged plans by members of far-right groups who supposedly met recently at a mansion outside Berlin to devise a plot to deport millions of immigrants, even those with German citizenship, if the groups take power. “Anyone who opposes our free democratic order” is a case for Germany’s domestic intelligence office …

Far-Right German party AfD closer to outright ban after further anti-Semitism claims
1 year, 2 months ago

Far-Right German party AfD closer to outright ban after further anti-Semitism claims

The Telegraph  

A regional chapter of the Alternative for Germany party has been classified as extremist by Germany’s intelligence agencies, a move that brings an outright ban on the party a step closer. Leading party figures had demonised migrants by referring to them as “invaders” and “intruders”, said Jochen Hollmann, the state’s spy chief. so that no one can say they didn’t …

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