German Political Crisis

AfD Electoral Breakthrough in Saxony-Anhalt Triggers Major Political Crisis Across Germany

The success of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt has caused a crisis in Germany, as it emerged that the former communist East remains another country despite the fall of the Berlin Wall. The AfD secured an astonishing 44.5% of votes in the eastern state election, leaving Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU in a distant second place. The party, which has faced accusations of harbouring Nazi sympathisers and has been investigated by German intelligence for far-Right extremism, also faces scrutiny over its cosy relationship with Moscow, including calls to scrap military support for Ukraine, end Russian sanctions and resume cheap Russian energy imports. The failure of German reunification to integrate the former Communist states into the EU's biggest economy has led to an identity crisis in the East, where the East and West are at odds over fundamental elements of German identity.

Topics