Germany

2024 - 9 - 2

Germany's Election Shocker: The AfD Turns Politics Upside Down!

AfD - European politics - far-right parties - Germany - Holocaust - political history - populism - Scholz - Thuringia election

Far-right AfD's win in Thuringia has everyone buzzing! Is Germany's political landscape changing forever?

In a historic turn of events, Germany’s far-right party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), has achieved an unprecedented victory in the eastern state of Thuringia’s regional elections. With a staggering 33% of the vote, this victory marks a significant moment for the party and sends ripples throughout the nation. While the mainstream centre and leftist parties have vowed to build a ‘brandmauer’ or firewall against the AfD, many are left questioning how long this protective barrier can hold against rising nationalist sentiments.

As voters grapple with issues surrounding immigration and asylum policies, the surge of support for the AfD seems to reflect deeper anxieties within the population. The heavy concern over these issues has boosted the far-right's notoriety, drawing comparison to the rise of political extremism seen in other parts of the globe. Meanwhile, prominent figures like Chancellor Olaf Scholz are raising alarms, urging all parties to unite in staunch opposition to extremist ideologies that threaten Germany's democratic foundation.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom—while major parties like the Christian Democrats continue to rule out coalitions with the AfD, the election results have certainly shaken the status quo. For the rest of Europe, Germany’s political landscape appears to be on a rocky road, leaving many liberally inclined leaders anxious about the implications of this alarming trend. "A dark day for Germany is a dark day for Europe," stated a concerned liberal figure following the results, highlighting the dire mood that has settled across the continent.

This political drama doesn’t stop there; on another front, the lows of water levels on the Rhine river are wreaking havoc, with ships unable to sail fully loaded, posing additional concerns for Germany’s economy. As beautiful and vibrant as Germany is, it's evident that the country is currently navigating through troubled waters on multiple fronts. Perhaps, in these tumultuous times, the words of the great philosopher Goethe can ring true: "The greatest and most important problems of life cannot be solved; they can only be outgrown.”

In addition to the far-right gaining traction, a recent Polish study revealed gaps in Germans' knowledge about the atrocities committed during WWII, with 70% of the pre-war Jewish population tragically lost. As democracy faces challenges and floods of history swirl back, one can only hope that lessons from the past guide a more constructive future. The stakes are high, and with Germany's political climate in motion, all eyes are on how this will play out—with popcorn in hand, of course!

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Image courtesy of "Aljazeera.com"

Far-right AfD wins eastern state in Germany's regional election (Aljazeera.com)

AfD leader declares that his party is ready to govern Thuringia but other parties have ruled out teaming up with it.

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Image courtesy of "Spectator.co.uk"

How long will Germany's anti-AfD 'firewall' last? (Spectator.co.uk)

Mainstream centre and leftist parties in Germany have vowed to form a 'brandmauer' (firewall) against the AfD. How long can it last?

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

A far-right party has won a state election in Germany for the first time ... (ABC News)

An election in the little-known German state of Thuringia has been thrust into the global spotlight after seeing a far-right nationalist party win for the ...

Extremely Worrying (German Marshall Fund)

For sure, the strength of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), an upstart party on the left, in Saxony and ...

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Rhine water in Germany falls again, ships only part-loaded (Reuters)

Water levels on the Rhine in Germany have fallen again after recent dry weather and cargo vessels cannot sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on ...

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Image courtesy of "Daily Sun"

Germany: Far-right AfD state election triumphs shake up national ... (Daily Sun)

The AfD's strong performance in Thuringia and Saxony is attributed to voter anxieties over immigration and asylum policies.

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Image courtesy of "WMBB - mypanhandle.com"

Far-right success in German votes piles new pressure on Scholz's ... (WMBB - mypanhandle.com)

BERLIN (AP) — The Alternative for Germany party's success in two state elections piled new pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious government and ...

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Image courtesy of "The Hindu"

Germany's Scholz worried by far-right surge in regional elections (The Hindu)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reacts to far-right AfD wins in regional elections, urging mainstream parties to unite against extremism.

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

German far-right party wins a state election for the first time since the ... (NBC News)

Projections from public broadcasters ARD and ZDF based on exit polls suggest that the anti-immigration, nationalist party Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has ...

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Finance UK"

Germany's Largest Companies Database 2024: 7000 Largest ... (Yahoo Finance UK)

Includes amongst others firms from the industrial, retail, trading, financial, IT, food, chemistry, logistics or service sector. Excellent level of detail: ...

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Image courtesy of "Fortune"

Rise of the anti-immigration AfD threatens Germany's 'firewall ... (Fortune)

The right-wing anti-immigration party topped the polls for the first time ever in the former East German state of Thuringia with around 33% of the vote.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

'A dark day for Germany is a dark day for Europe': liberals react to far ... (The Guardian)

Election results in Germany causes consternation across Europe as German chancellor says preliminary results in Thuringia are 'bitter'

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Image courtesy of "KUAR"

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far-right makes ... (KUAR)

The Alternative for Germany party made huge gains in two eastern states, handing the German far-right its best results since World War II.

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Image courtesy of "Notes From Poland"

Gaps in Germans' knowledge of WWII Nazi crimes, finds Polish study (Notes From Poland)

According to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, around 165,000 German Jews died during the war (70% of the prewar population) while between 2.8 and 3 million ...

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Image courtesy of "New Statesman"

How the far right mobilised the new Germany (New Statesman)

It still faces barriers. For now, the Christian Democrats are clear that they will not form coalitions with the AfD in Saxony or Thuringia. Even among European ...

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far-right makes ... (NPR)

Here are five takeaways from yesterday's elections: 1. The nationalist, anti-immigrant politics of the Alternative für Deutschland Party (AfD) are becoming more ...

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

AfD becomes first far-right party to win German state election since ... (CNN)

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become the first far-right party to win a state election in Germany since the Nazi era, dealing a crushing blow to ...

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Image courtesy of "Financial Times"

Victory for the AfD raises difficult questions about east Germany (Financial Times)

“Bit by bit, one loses hope.” That is what Charlotte Knobloch, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and former head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, ...

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Image courtesy of "POLITICO.eu"

5 takeaways from Germany's eastern elections (POLITICO.eu)

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Sunday scored a stunning win in an eastern German state election, amid rising voter discontent at Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ...

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

Battered and unloved, Germany's coalition likely to hang on after ... (Reuters)

The far right's first victory in a German state election in the post-war era prompted soul-searching in Berlin on Monday, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ...

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Image courtesy of "CBS News"

Germany election results fuel fear of far-right AfD's rise in the east: "I ... (CBS News)

"I know what this can all lead to," a German WWII survivor warns after the far-right AfD party's first state election win.

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Image courtesy of "Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime"

Criminal violence spilling over to Germany (Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime)

In a rented, empty warehouse in Germany, a local drug dealer records showing off his stash of half a ton of cannabis during a livestream, broadcasting his ...

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Image courtesy of "Wyoming Public Media"

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far right makes ... (Wyoming Public Media)

The Alternative for Germany party made huge gains in two eastern states, handing the German far right its best results since World War II.

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Image courtesy of "Financial Times"

The far-right's disturbing success in eastern Germany (Financial Times)

Voters across much of Europe are flocking to populist and nationalist parties seeking an alternative to mainstream politics. But the victory of the ...

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Image courtesy of "The Associated Press"

Germany: AfD becomes first far-right party to win a state election ... (The Associated Press)

The Alternative for Germany party's success in two state elections piled new pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fractious government.

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Image courtesy of "RNZ"

Battered and unloved, Germany's coalition likely to hang on after ... (RNZ)

By Sarah Marsh and Thomas Escritt, Reuters. 01 September 2024, North Rhine-Westphalia, Solingen: Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (. Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Far-right wins in two German states (KUAR)

And while they were just regional elections, their results underscore how popular far-right politics are becoming in Germany. NPR's Berlin correspondent Rob ...

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Image courtesy of "GZERO Media"

AfD makes historic gains in eastern Germany (GZERO Media)

German voters delivered the hard right a significant victory in Sunday's election, as Bjoern Hoecke's Alternative for Germany party captured 32.8% of the ...

Far-right party makes large gains in elections in 2 states in eastern ... (KLCC FM Public Radio)

The outcome of yesterday's elections have political observers worried about a resurgence of anti-immigrant, populist politics in Europe. NPR's Rob Schmitz is ...

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Image courtesy of "Financial Times"

The choice facing Germany's far right: radicalism or power (Financial Times)

Simply sign up to the German politics myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox. The far-right Alternative for Germany's victory in a regional election ...

Shades of 1933 in German state elections (The New Zealand Initiative)

On Sunday, Germany experienced a political earthquake. For the first time since 1933, a far-right party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), ...

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

AfD's success in German elections piles pressure on a fragmented EU (The Guardian)

The centre 'may be holding' but if the far right continues to win elections, the European project faces a rocky few years.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

The AfD has stunned Germany – but this was no surprise victory (The Guardian)

Mainstream parties should have opposed the far right's anti-migrant narrative after the Solingen knife attack, not condoned it. In Thuringia, they paid the ...

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