The far-right Alternative for Germany party (known by the acronym AfD) was the big winner in the regional elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the east of the country, after voting this Sunday (6).
According to preliminary results, the AfD won 39 seats in the state parliament, equivalent to almost 44% of the votes. State elections in Germany also follow the parliamentary model: the minister-president, a position equivalent to that of governor in Brazil, is chosen according to the performance of the parties in the Legislature.
As the AfD did not achieve an absolute majority, agreements will need to be made so that Ulrich Siegmund, leader of the party in the state, takes the position.
The German Prime Minister, Friedrich Merz, spoke this Monday (7) about the result of the election. He stated that “everyone is deeply shocked” by the result. And he said that this is the worst defeat for his party, the Christian Democratic Union (known by the acronym CDU), in decades.
According to preliminary results, the CDU lost 25 seats in the Saxony-Anhalt parliament, leaving it with just 15 seats.
The party has already guaranteed that it will not form a coalition with the AfD.
In his speech, Merz, who is experiencing a popularity crisis in Germany, stated that changing ideas is part of democracy, but that “there is one thing that is not open to voting: the rules by which we live together and the values enshrined” in the constitution.
Anti-immigration policies are a focus of the AfD
The AfD has gained ground in German politics in recent years with strong anti-immigration rhetoric. Its leaders even talk about adopting “remigration” policies, that is, sending foreigners back to their countries of origin.
At a press conference after the elections, Alice Weidel, leader of the AfD, stated that the majority of immigrants entering Germany today are “unskilled individuals who use our welfare system” and that current immigration policies make Germans feel “strangers in their own country”.
The party also advocates an end to support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
