Germany’s Left party tops Thuringia election, AfD surges to second — exit poll

Voters in the eastern German state of Thuringia boosted the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the regional elections on Sunday, according to ARD projections, but it is the Left party that will remain the dominant political force in the state. 

The Left party is forecast to claim 30.6% of support in the state, which was once part of the Communist-ruled DDR. The far-right AfD party is predicted to take nearly 24% of the vote, making it the second-largest party in the assembly — and pushing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party into third place.

The turnout for the Thuringia polls was unusually high. Around 66% of the state’s 1.7 million voters cast their ballots, compared to less than 53% five years ago. Postal votes were not included in the statistics.

Read more: Germany’s AfD aims at a forgotten demographic

AfD confident after exit polls

The populist AfD party in Thuringia is led by Björn Höcke, who often draws attention to himself with firebrand statements. Höcke has notably criticized the Holocaust memorial in Berlin, describing it as a “memorial of shame.”

Local AfD leader Björn Höcke (r) and senior AfD lawmaker Alexander Gauland (l) react to exit polls

After the exit polls were announced, Höcke said the voters wanted another change comparable to the fall of the Berlin wall.

“This is a clear sign that a large part of Thuringia says: This can’t go on,” he told the ARD public broadcaster.

“We need renewal — this should be taken seriously.”

Höcke added that his party would win an outright majority in the next election cycle.

The AfD boasts strong support in other eastern states, winning 27.5% in Saxony-Anhalt and 23.5% in Brandenburg in September. However, other political parties have so far refused to form coalitions with the populist group.

Losing the Left’s razor-thin majority?

Thuringia is currently the only German state to have a premier with the Left party. The popular Premier Bodo Ramelow rules in coalition with the center-left SPD and the pro-environment Greens.

“I see myself clearly strengthened,” he told ARD. “My party clearly has the mandate to govern, and I will take it up.”

Ramelow is the first and so far the only state premier from the Left party

The SPD, however, is projected to slide down to 8.4%, losing some 4% compared to its 2014 result. Although the Greens suffered a smaller loss, and are now hovering around 5%, it appears unlikely that the ruling coalition will be able to maintain its one-seat majority.

‘Bitter result’

Merkel’s CDU is forecast to take third with a bit over 22%, marking an 11% drop from 2014. The result is a heavy blow for the conservative party and a win for the AfD, which hoped to claim at least some of CDU’s disillusioned supporters.

The CDU’s top candidate, Mike Mohring, lamented the “bitter result” of centrist parties not being able to form a majority.

Senior SPD member Olaf Scholz said he was concerned by the outcome and the AfD’s surge.

“The result is, of course, not pretty,” he told ARD.

The final seat count also depends on whether or not the Greens or the pro-business FDP makes it over the 5% threshold required to enter the regional assembly. The exit polls place it around 5% of the votes.

dj/stb ( dpa, Reuters)

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