The Alternative for Germany party gets more than a third of the parliamentary seats in Thuringia. The party demands power, but the road will be rocky, writes Europe correspondent Anna Karismo.
ERFURT Hundreds of protesters stormed the streets of Erfurt late Sunday night, as the local far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, celebrated its election victory in the city’s old inn.
“All together against fascism” and “Nazis out”, chanted the protesters as they marched in a heavy police escort.
The protesters want to prevent the AfD from coming to power in Thuringia. Although other parties have refused to cooperate with the AfD, its local leader Björn Höcke immediately demanded government responsibility on Sunday.
Graffiti opposing Höcke appeared on buildings in Erfurt over the weekend. On Saturday, thousands of people shouted slogans against the AfD in the streets.
In Germany, where due to history the extreme right is a red garment for the majority of people, the election victory of the AfD in the state of Thuringia is an earthquake.
For the first time since the Nazi years leading up to World War II, citizens voted for a party led by Höcke, known for his Nazi references.
Read more: The extreme right won the elections, this is its leader Björn Höcke
AfD is now by far the largest party in Thuringia with a third of the vote. It also looks set to win more than a third of the seats in the local parliament, according to Sunday night’s projections.
Thus, it is able to block, for example, the appointment of judges, because constitutional questions require a two-thirds majority.
The question now is whether the AfD can also gain direct power. According to experts, it is unlikely to be held responsible for government, and it alone cannot form a government.
Can the lines be straightened?
There is a painful road of negotiations and game transfers ahead. It is not completely excluded that the AfD gets a significant place in the local government.
Let’s take an example. The new parliament first elects a speaker.
Since the election of the speaker requires a multi-stage agreement between the parties, the other parties should work strictly as a single front. For example, the votes for the speaker are secret, so some representatives can follow an agreed line.
The second largest party after the AfD in Thuringia is the centre-right CDU. The brand new far-left party grew to be the third largest, Sahra Wagenknecht association BSW.
Die Linke, the left-wing party that led the state until now, shrunk to fourth place.
Are new partnerships emerging?
There is a lot of friction between the previous parties due to different policy orientations.
It is also unclear how the left-wing parties are able to cooperate. BSW broke away from die Linke just last year, accompanied by strong disagreements and disapproval.
The votes of the CDU of the Christian Democrats, the SPD of the Social Democrats and the far-left BSW are not enough to form a majority government. Die Linke would be needed.
AfD can therefore gain power while others adjust their patterns.
Thuringia becomes a precedent in Germany. The following weeks will decide whether the firewall built against the AfD will hold in the Thuringian parliament as well.
A disaster for the governing parties
The German federal government in Berlin suffered a catastrophic setback in Sunday’s election.
Both the Greens and the Liberals will be completely without seats. Chancellor By Olaf Scholz the social democrats seem to exceed the five percent vote threshold with a narrow six percent result.
Next September, the Bundestag elections will be held in Germany. The result in Thuringia shows the Germans’ dissatisfaction with immigration policy and support for Ukraine. This may reduce the government’s desire to support Ukraine.
For radical parties on the right and left, Sunday’s election result is a clear step forward. Now that we have won in the east, we can next seek a foothold in the west.