AfD makes German election history 85 years after Nazis started World War II

The far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has won its first state election in Germany since the Nazi era in a landmark result.

The AfD emerged as the clear victor in Thuringia, in the east of the country, securing between 32-33 percent of the vote, according to projections by ARD and ZDF public television. This places the party well ahead of the center-Right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which garnered around 24 percent.

According to projections, the party was also in close contention in the neighboring state of Saxony, signaling its growing influence.

The CDU has maintained power in Saxony since reunification in 1990, but projections showed a tight race with the AfD, as both parties hover around 31-32 percent of the vote.

The election outcomes underscore a deepening discontent with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government, which has been mired in unpopularity and internal conflicts.

The elections came on the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. Nazi Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, marking the start of the war.

Omid Nouripour, a leader of the Greens, remarked that “an openly right-wing extremist party has become the strongest force in a state parliament for the first time since 1949,” reflecting widespread concern about the AfD’s rise.

An AfD spokesperson told Newsweek: “We are not a Right-wing extremist party.”

The parties within Chancellor Scholz’s coalition performed poorly, with the Greens facing the loss of their seats in Thuringia and the pro-business Free Democrats failing to secure representation in either state.

Adding to the complexity of the political landscape, a new party founded by prominent leftist Sahra Wagenknecht made a striking debut. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) captured up to 16 percent of the vote in Thuringia and 12 percent in Saxony, positioning itself as a formidable new player in regional politics.

Alice Weidel, AfD’s national co-leader, hailed the result as a “historic success” and a “requiem” for Scholz’s coalition.

Despite AfD’s gains, mainstream parties continue to reject any coalition with the far-Right group. CDU’s national general secretary, Carsten Linnemann, reaffirmed that the party would not form alliances with AfD, a stance that could complicate the formation of future state governments.

The AfD’s success is largely rooted in the former communist East, where the party has capitalized on anti-immigration sentiment and skepticism toward Germany’s military support for Ukraine. Thuringia’s AfD leader, Björn Höcke, who is under surveillance by the domestic intelligence agency for right-wing extremism, expressed pride in the election results, dismissing concerns about his party’s extremist label.

As Germany braces for another state election later this month in Brandenburg, the rise of AfD and the emergence of the Wagenknecht Alliance are set to challenge the traditional power dynamics, particularly in the eastern regions. With the national election just over a year away, these developments could have profound implications for the country’s political future.