German elections polls open for voters as far right AfD eyes gains | BBC News
Summary
TLDRIn regional elections in eastern Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to perform strongly, capitalizing on migration concerns and a sense of economic disparity with the West. Thousands protested against the AfD, labeling them as fascists. The AfD's hard-right leader, Björn Höcke, has been fined for using Nazi slogans. The elections may also reflect dissatisfaction with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government. Additionally, the newly formed BSW party is vying for votes by appealing to East German identity and advocating for a halt to weapons shipments to Ukraine.
Takeaways
- 🗳️ Polls have opened in two eastern states of Germany where the far-right party is expected to perform strongly.
- 🚨 Thousands of demonstrators rallied against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony and Thuringia, denouncing them as fascists.
- 🎖️ The AfD is campaigning on a platform of controlled borders and the expulsion of illegal immigrants, potentially making them the largest party in Thuringia.
- 🔍 The party leader of AfD in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, is a controversial figure known for his hard-right stance and use of Nazi slogans.
- 🏙️ The elections are regional, not national, but could have significant implications for the political landscape in Germany's eastern regions.
- 🤔 The AfD and another party, the BSW, are capitalizing on issues like migration and economic disparity between the east and west of Germany.
- 🔄 There is a sense of nostalgia among some eastern Germans who do not view their past under Soviet rule as entirely negative, influencing their political views.
- 🇺🇦 Both AfD and BSW are calling for a halt to the shipment of weapons to Ukraine, reflecting a divergence from the western consensus on the conflict.
- 🏛️ The elections may serve as a referendum on Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government and its 'traffic light' coalition, with voters possibly using the vote to express dissatisfaction.
- 🔮 These regional elections are seen as a precursor to the federal elections, providing a litmus test for the popularity of the far-right and the government's policies.
Q & A
What is the significance of the regional elections in Germany's eastern states?
-The regional elections in Germany's eastern states are significant as they may indicate a shift in political sentiment towards the far-right, which could have implications for future national elections and policies.
How is the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party expected to perform in these elections?
-The AfD party is expected to perform strongly in these elections, potentially emerging as the largest party in the region, capitalizing on anti-immigrant sentiments and dissatisfaction with the current government's policies.
What are the main issues driving support for the far-right parties in the eastern states?
-The main issues driving support for far-right parties include concerns over immigration, a sense of being underprivileged compared to the western part of Germany, and certain nostalgic or sympathetic views towards Russia.
What is the stance of the AfD and BSW parties on the Ukraine conflict?
-Both the AfD and BSW parties are against sending weapons to Ukraine, arguing that the West and NATO should not prolong the war by providing military support.
How has the migration policy under Angela Merkel's rule impacted the current political climate in the eastern states?
-The migration policy under Angela Merkel, which allowed a large wave of migrants into Germany, has been a significant factor contributing to the rise of far-right parties that capitalize on anti-immigrant sentiments.
Who is Björn Höcke and what is his role in the AfD party?
-Björn Höcke is a highly controversial figure and leader of the AfD in the eastern state of Thuringia. He represents the hard-right wing of the party and has been fined for using Nazi slogans.
What is the BSW (Bündnis für Sachsen-Anhalt) party and what are its goals?
-The BSW party is a relatively new party formed to represent East German identity and interests. It is also tapping into the dissatisfaction with the current government and is seen as a real representative of East Germans.
How might these regional elections influence the federal elections in Germany?
-The results of these regional elections could serve as a litmus test for the federal elections, indicating potential shifts in voter preferences and the possibility of far-right parties gaining more influence at the national level.
What is the 'traffic light Coalition' mentioned in the script and how is it perceived in the eastern states?
-The 'traffic light Coalition' refers to the ruling coalition in Berlin under Chancellor Olaf Schultz, consisting of parties with red, green, and yellow colors in their logos. It is perceived negatively in the eastern states due to dissatisfaction with their policies, particularly on migration and foreign policy.
What is the role of nostalgia and historical perspective in shaping political views in the eastern states?
-Nostalgia and a different historical perspective on life under the Soviet Union's rule contribute to a complex political landscape in the eastern states, where some voters may not view their past under a dictatorship as negatively as those in the western part of Germany.
Outlines
🗳️ Far-Right Gains in German Regional Elections
In the eastern states of Germany, regional elections have seen a strong showing by the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). Thousands of protesters rallied against the party in Saxony and Thuringia, denouncing it as fascist. The AfD is expected to perform well, possibly becoming the largest party in Thuringia. The party's stance on controlled borders and the expulsion of legal immigrants is gaining traction. However, their extremist views might hinder them from forming coalitions to take power. The AfD's leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, is a controversial figure known for his hard-right stance and use of Nazi slogans. The elections are also seen as a reflection on Chancellor Olaf Schultz's government, with the possibility of a major repudiation. The AfD and another party, the BSW, are capitalizing on migration issues and a sense of being underprivileged in the East, as well as a certain sympathy towards Russia, which is influencing their foreign policy stance on Ukraine.
🔍 Prioritizing Migration and Foreign Policy in Regional Elections
The second paragraph of the script delves into the reasons behind the far-right's rise in popularity, with migration and foreign policy being key issues. The AfD and the BSW are both pushing for a halt to weapons shipments to Ukraine, arguing that the West and NATO should not prolong the conflict. These regional elections, while not national, are seen as a litmus test for the federal elections a year away, with migration and Ukraine policy potentially being decisive factors for voters. The discussion highlights the complexity of the political landscape in Germany's eastern regions, where historical sentiments and contemporary issues intertwine to shape voter preferences.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Far right
💡Alternative for Germany (AfD)
💡Demonstrators
💡Anti-immigrant
💡Regional elections
💡Björn Höcke
💡Coalition Partners
💡Olaf Schultz
💡Litmus test
💡Migration
💡Foreign policy
Highlights
Polls have opened in two eastern states of Germany where the far-right is expected to perform strongly.
Thousands of demonstrators took part in rallies in Saxony and Thuringia against the far-right.
The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is expected to do well in the election.
Protesters denounced the AfD as fascists during rallies in Dresden.
AfD party leader calls for controlled borders and expulsion of legal immigrants.
The AfD could emerge as the largest party in Thuringia.
Regional elections may have a significant impact on the political landscape.
The AfD is capitalizing on the migration issue, which is a major concern for many in the East.
There is a sentiment of feeling left behind and underprivileged in the East compared to the West.
Björn Höcke, the head of AfD in Thuringia, is a controversial figure known for his hard-right stance.
Höcke has been fined for using a Nazi slogan, which he denies.
The vote may deliver a major repudiation of the government in Berlin under Chancellor Olaf Schultz.
The election is a litmus test in the country's East ahead of the federal elections.
There is a shift by voters towards the far-right due to migration and economic concerns.
The BSW, a new party, is also trying to capitalize on East German identity.
Some East Germans have a different view on Russia and the Soviet Union's past oppression.
Both AfD and BSW are against sending weapons to Ukraine, reflecting a different stance in the East.
Transcripts
now the polls have opened in two eastern
states of Germany in elections which the
far right is expected to perform
strongly thousands of demonstrators took
part in rallies in Saxony and Thia on
Saturday the anti-immigrant alternative
for Germany party or afd is expected to
do well in the election in the city of
airort protesters denounced the afd as
fascists police say around 2,000 people
attended anti-ar right rallies in
Dresden
at an afd rally one of the party leaders
told supporters that Germany needed
controlled borders and the expulsion of
a legal immigrants it's thought the
party could emerge as the largest in
theia the vote our Europe correspondent
Jess Parker has
more these are Regional not national
elections nevertheless they could be
seismic here in theing the far right
alternative for deuts land has been
leading the polls and running a close
second in ing Saxony however because
many view the party is extremist
something they reject they may struggle
to find Coalition Partners in order to
actually take power the man who heads up
the afd here in theing is a highly
controversial figure called bjor hooker
he's a Talisman of the party's hard
right and has twice been fined this year
for knowingly using a Nazi slogan
something he denied this vote may also
deliver a major repudiation of the
government in Berlin under Chancellor
Olaf Schultz and his traffic light
Coalition it's a litmus test here in the
country's East a year ahead of the
federal
elections our correspondent Jessica
Parker there well let's cross live to
Berlin to speak to Marcus Zena who's a
senior visiting fellow for the German
Marshall fund think tank thank you so
much for joining us Marcus first of all
why do you think there has been this uh
shift by voters towards the far right
well thanks for having me um I think
there is a couple of things in play here
the one is uh of course as mentioned
earlier the migration problem the
migration topic many people in the East
feel that we have too many migrants and
uh uh this actually happened under the
rule of uh Angela Merkel when she was
Chancellor we had a big wave of migrants
coming to Germany and this is what the
afd the far right party is capitalizing
on to say well we have too many this is
the one topic the other topic is um
certain sentiment of feeling like being
left behind being underprivileged and
not having the same um wealth situation
being not as well off as in the western
part so this is also something two
parties the afd was mentioned but also
there is another party at play which has
been formed only half a year ago it's
called B SAR wagen Alliance SAR wagen
and this party also is trying to um well
take advantage of some kind of uh East
German identity and saying well we are
the real representatives of um East
Germans and uh Marcus while we're
speaking viewers are seeing uh live
images from a polling booth in thuringia
or turingan if you fancy the German uh
more German pronunciation uh but what do
you think uh Olaf Schultz's party has
failed to do in order to capture these
voters or do you think these are voters
who would uh Express their vote as a
protest either way regardless of what Mr
Schultz's party could
do I I think the letter is true that um
no matter what ola Schultz is doing it's
not going to give him some more credit I
as mentioned earlier I mean it's it's
the one thing is migration the other
thing which I didn't mention was Russia
and some kind of um well um certain
sympathy for for the Russians which is
interesting here because um East Germany
suffered under the oppression by the
Soviet Union for so many decades however
uh this is something probably in the
west uh we see that as as as a as a fact
however many people in the eastern part
of Germany they don't see that like they
have been living under a dictatorship at
least they don't think they were so
badly off when they when they when they
lived at that time so in hindsight there
is some kind of nostalgia in play now
what does this have to do with the
region
elections both the afd and the BSW
they're both asking for a stop of
sending weapons to Ukraine they believe
that the west and NATO they have a
certain responsibility and that they
should not prolong the war by sending
weapons to Ukraine so
interestingly um although there are
Regional elections uh the topics of
migration and um and and the foreign
policy issue of Ukraine
are high on the priority list and uh
could become decisive uh topics for
voters to vote for the far right in the
BW we shall see thank you marus Cena
thank you for your time
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