The political situation in Germany

Major protests as AFD sets sights on new local elections

Thousands of Germans have taken part in protests against the far-right party AFD in recent days, which could soon reap successes in two new local elections after a landslide victory in Saxony-Anhalt. The Guardian writes.

Both Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are holding local elections on September 20. In the capital, 5,000 people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate on Monday and held up placards with messages such as "fascism is not an option" and "the eyes of history are upon us".

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the AFD is the largest party in public opinion with around 35 percent support. In Berlin, they are fighting for the top spot with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the left-wing party Linke. All three are collecting around 20 percent support.

Analysis: The centrist parties have themselves to blame

The European centrists fear a nationalist wave after the AfD's victory in the German state elections – but they have only themselves to blame, writes Jon Henley in The Guardian.

“In addition to the inability of the established parties to meet dissatisfied voters affected by high living costs, it is above all the normalization of the thinking patterns of the far right that is driving – and continues to drive – their success, according to political scientists.”

The German “firewall” is now being tested like never before – analysts across the country are asking themselves whether the strategy is working, writes Jim Tankersley in the New York Times.

“They are noticing that voters have lost faith in the established parties and the media. The AfD has been very successful in rounding up traditional journalists with its own channels on social media.”

However, there are no signs that Friedrich Merz and his coalition intend to change tactics, Tankersley notes.

The fact that the left-wing populists in the BSW passed the five percent threshold is a victory for Putin, writes Kevin Hagen in Der Spiegel.

“Almost all of the loud demands from Sahra Wagenknecht and her party are in line with the Kremlin’s will. After the success in Saxony-Anhalt, the party can take its shameless Putinism to extreme levels.”

The election in Saxony-Anhalt — it’s about the matter

• Despite the victory, the AFD did not gain a majority of its own, as they stopped at 39 of the 42 seats required for a majority in the state parliament.
• The left-wing populist Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) passed the five percent threshold and won five seats, making them a potential wave-maker in government formation.delstatsparlamentet.
• Vänsterpopulistiska Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) klarade femprocentsspärren och fick fem mandat, vilket gör dem till potentiell vågmästare i regeringsbildningen.
• AFD’s top candidate Ulrich Siegmund has rejected cooperation with the BSW, while other parties have ruled out cooperation with the AFD.
• The ruling Christian Democrats (CDU) fell to 17 percent. Voter turnout was 77.8 percent.