German far right election victory in east

• German far right election victory in east
• Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won in eastern state of Thuringia
• First time since WW2 the far right has won a state parliament election
• AfD is unlikely to form a government as major parties wont cooperate

German far right election victory in east

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is celebrating a major victory in the eastern state of Thuringia, where it won nearly a third of the vote, outpacing the conservative CDU by nine points. This marks the first time since World War Two that the far right has won a state parliament election in Germany, although the AfD is unlikely to form a government as other parties are expected to refuse any cooperation.

The AfD also performed strongly in Saxony, a more populous neighbouring state, finishing a close second with 27.4% of the vote, just behind the CDU at 31.9%, and well ahead of the three national governing parties—the Social Democrats, Greens, and liberal FDP.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the results “bitter” and urged mainstream parties to form governments without the far right, warning that the AfD “is damaging Germany” by harming the economy, dividing society, and tarnishing the country’s reputation. 

Björn Höcke, the AfD’s top candidate in Thuringia and a controversial figure in German politics, described the outcome as a “historic victory.” Although he did not win a direct mandate, Höcke secured a seat in the state parliament as the top candidate on his party’s list. His party has been labelled as a right-wing extremist, and Höcke himself has been fined for using a Nazi slogan, though he denies doing so intentionally.