Germany’s anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating a “historic success”, with the far-right party on course for a big victory in the eastern state of Thuringia.
The AfD is set to win almost a third of the vote, according to a projection for public broadcaster ARD, nine points ahead of the conservative CDU, and far in front of Germany’s three governing parties.
The result would give the far right its first vote win in a state parliament since World War Two, although it has little hope of forming a government in Thuringia.
The AfD came a close second in Sunday’s other big state election, in the more populous neighbouring state of Saxony.
Projections there gave the CDU almost 32% of the vote, a point ahead of the AfD, again far ahead of the three parties running the national government – the Social Democrats, Greens and liberal FDP.
The AfD’s top candidate in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, who is a highly controversial figure in Germany, hailed a “historic victory” and spoke of his great pride. He reportedly failed to win a direct mandate for the state parliament, but could still win a seat because he is top of his party list.
Mr Höcke’s party has been designated as right-wing extremist and he has been fined for using a Nazi slogan, although the former history teacher denies knowingly doing so.
One of Germany’s best-known Holocaust survivors, Charlotte Knobloch, pointed out that the election had taken place 85 years to the day since the outbreak of World War Two. The result had left the country in danger of becoming “more unstable, colder and poorer, less safe and less worth living in”, she said.
With federal elections only a year away, the AfD is second in national opinion polls. Co-leader Alice Weidel said the result was a “requiem” for the three parties running Germany. And it was clear that voters in both eastern states wanted her party in government: “Without us a stable government is no longer possible at all.”
That message was repeated by Björn Höcke, who suggested there were plenty of CDU voters who would be happy if they worked together.
Without the support of other parties, the AfD cannot govern in Thuringia, and the CDU has made clear it will not consider ruling with the far right.
Mathematically, the conservatives will need support from parties on the left to form a majority.
