Polls suggest that the 3-year-old Alternative for Germany can expect to win over 20 percent of votes Sunday in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a coastal region where Merkel has her parliamentary constituency. Merkel’s CDU managed only 19 percent, its worst ever result in the northeastern state.
Advertisement
While Germany was praised internationally for its response to the refugee crisis, anti-immigrant sentiment has been rising in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – the country’s poorest state.
The elections to the state legislature in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, in the former communist east of the country, will not affect Mrs Merkel’s commanding majority in the federal parliament.
The AfD, initially an anti-euro party, has enjoyed a rapid rise as the party of choice for voters dismayed by Merkel’s policy.
The regional election is considered a rehearsal for next year’s general election when Merkel’s decision, exactly a year ago, to let in tens of thousands of migrants is expected to be a key point of contention.
The defeat underscores the surge in public anxiety in Germany that’s put Ms Merkel on the defensive after more than one million asylum seekers arrived past year.
New arrivals in Germany have slowed drastically this year, policies have been tightened, and Mecklenburg is home to few foreigners.
After a series of attacks by asylum-seekers in July – including two claimed by the Islamic State organisation – the mood has also darkened.
Merkel’s liberal migrant policy has dissatisfied many German people, exposing her to heavy criticism at home, including from her own conservative allies.
CSU Secretary General Andreas Scheuer spelt out that what was now needed was a cap on refugee numbers and better integration and repatriation of failed asylum seekers.
However, the party’s strong showing could weaken Mrs Merkel ahead of the national elections next year.
A recent poll showed her approval rating fell from 67 percent to a five-year low of 45 percent.
Conservative daily Die Welt commented: “Germany now has what has never existed since the end of the war: an extreme-right party”. Popular Social Democratic governor Erwin Sellering has governed with Merkels party as his junior partner. Both parties lost support compared with the last state election in 2011, when they polled 35.6 and 23 percent, respectively. The left-leaning Greens were hovering around the 5 percent mark.
The AfD came in at 21.5 per cent, meaning it will enter the north-eastern state’s parliament for the first time.
Despite losing support, the SPD (24 seats) and the CDU (16) won enough seats to be able to continue their grand coalition in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with the AfD as the second-largest bloc in the 71-seat state assembly with 18 seats. It is now the only place in Germany where the far-right National Democratic Party is represented in the state legislature, though polls suggest it is likely to lose its seats with some supporters switching to AfD.
Other members of the party have also drawn condemnation for making racist slurs, including against footballer Jerome Boateng, who was born in Berlin to a German mother and Ghanaian father. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information. “And we saw that particularly in discussions about refugees”. “We’re still reaching our huge target of preserving and enhancing the standard of living in Germany”.
Advertisement
“We got to witness a new set of circumstances in this election, whereby the positive developments in regional politics did not even begin to factor in with the people”.
