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Elections in Germany, Scholz's party seeks to stop right-wing extremists in Bradenburg

2024-09-22 11:50:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Elections in Germany, Scholz's party seeks to stop right-wing extremists in

State elections are being held in Germany's Brandenburg on September 22, three weeks after a far-right party surge in two other states in eastern Germany.

About 2.1 million people are registered to vote for a new state parliament in Brandenburg, the state that includes the German capital, Berlin.

Sunday's election is being watched carefully for what it may reveal about Germany's political direction.

Recent polls show the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a close race with the Social Democrats, the party that has governed Brandenburg continuously since German reunification in 1990.

The Social Democrats, the largest party in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government, hope to retain control of their stronghold in the face of growing support for far-right and far-left parties. If the Social Democrats lose in Brandenburg, it would be seen as a bad sign for Scholz a year ahead of federal elections to be held on September 28, 2025. Scholz lives in Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, and German political observers believe that the political future of the chancellor will depend on the results of Sunday's vote in Brandenburg.

The fate of Brandenburg's governor, Dietmar Woidke, is also in jeopardy. He made it his goal for the Social Democrats to defeat the Alternative for Germany and vowed to resign if the AfD wins.

"If I lose to the AfD, I will leave," said Woidke.

Alternative for Germany won the most votes in the state of Thuringia and also did well in the Saxony election on September 1. A new party founded by a prominent left-wing figure also did well, while the parties in Scholz's national government scored very poorly.

It was the first time the far-right won an election in Germany since World War II, and it dealt a heavy blow to Scholz's centrist coalition. It also raised concerns in Germany and abroad about growing support for the far right in the European Union's largest country and NATO member.

The far-right party has gained support due to dissatisfaction with mass migration to Germany over the past decade. Germany's economy has begun to weaken, adding to the general sense of discontent.

Sunday's vote comes after a heated election campaign focused on issues of migration, homeland security and peace. Both the far right and the new left movement, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, or BSW, want to stop arms shipments to Kiev as Ukraine tries to defend itself from a full Russian invasion.

Even if the Alternative for Germany wins in Brandenburg, it is unlikely to govern as other parties refuse to work with it./ Rel