In a historic turn of events, Germany’s federal election has seen the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and its left-wing counterpart, The Left, celebrate significant gains in the polls. With the AfD poised to become the second-largest force in parliament and The Left staging a major comeback, the country is bracing itself for a new era of politics.
The German federal election on Sunday saw jubilant scenes from both the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and its left-wing counterpart, The Left.
The German federal election is a democratic process where eligible citizens elect members to the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament.
The election typically takes place every four years and involves multiple parties competing for seats.
A party or coalition must secure at least 5% of the national vote to enter the Bundestag.
Angela Merkel held the record for most votes in a single election with over 34 million votes in 2017.
AfD Celebrates Historic Gains
The leaders of the AfD, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, were ecstatic as early forecasts indicated that their party had roughly doubled its vote share to just over 20%. This achievement has set them up to become the second-largest force in parliament, with a projected increase in the number of AfD members in the Bundestag from 77 to more than 140.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a right-wing populist political party in Germany.
Founded in 2013, the AfD emerged as a response to the European migrant crisis and eurozone policies.
The party's platform focuses on issues such as immigration control, national sovereignty, and euroscepticism.
In the 2017 federal election, the AfD won 94 seats in the Bundestag, becoming the third-largest party in Germany.
The party has been criticized for its nationalist and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
The AfD‘s success is seen as a significant step towards gaining real political power. However, their ability to fully exercise this mandate is limited by the so-called ‘firewall’ maintained by mainstream parties, who have vowed not to work with them. The party has been categorized as a suspected right-wing extremist group by domestic intelligence.
‘We see that the firewall is crumbling a little more every day,’ said Beatrix von Storch, an AfD lawmaker, expressing her delight at the party’s performance.
The Left Makes Comeback
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were celebrations on Sunday evening as The Left party staged a major comeback. Their top candidate, Heidi Reichinnek, achieved what seemed unthinkable just months ago: securing a place in the next parliament after narrowly scraping into the Bundestag last time around.
The Left refers to a broad range of political and social ideologies that emphasize equality, justice, and the rights of marginalized groups.
It encompasses various movements, including socialism, communism, and progressivism.
Key principles include government regulation of the economy, social welfare programs, and advocacy for labor rights.
The Left has its roots in 18th-century Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau and Marx, who critiqued capitalist systems and advocated for collective ownership and social reform.
The Left‘s success has been attributed to recent changes in leadership, a solid campaign strategy, and discontent among voters with the shaky firewall keeping out the AfD. The party nearly doubled its support to over 8%, while their rival, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), stumbled badly and is in danger of falling short of the 5% hurdle needed for seats in the Bundestag.
‘The Left lives on,’ said top candidate Jan van Aken to a jubilant crowd.
