According to preliminary results, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has won the parliamentary elections in Thuringia, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
with reference to tagesschau.
According to the local CEC, the AfD received 32.8% of the vote, becoming the largest political force in the newly elected Landtag. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) came in second with 23.6% of the vote. The newly formed Bundes for Peace (BSW), led by Sarah Wagenknecht, received 15.8% of the vote, becoming the third strongest faction.
The Left Party lost support significantly, gaining only 13.1% of the vote (-17.9% compared to the previous election). The Social Democratic Party (SPD) received 6.1% (-2.1%), and the Greens failed to overcome the 5% threshold, gaining only 3.2% of the vote.
The leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, called the result a “historic success”, saying that the AfD is now the “number one popular party” and will no longer be a factor in politics. This victory was the first victory of the far-right in a local election in Germany since the Nazi era.
The winners’ position on Ukraine
In the election campaign, the AfD was able to use the themes of migration, crime, and, in particular, criticism of the federal government’s policy of supplying weapons to Ukraine. The party used sometimes nationalistic and radical rhetoric, contrasting itself with other political forces and positioning itself as a defender of the interests of East Germany.
The third political force in the new Landtag, the newly formed Bundes for Peace (BSW), led by Sarah Wagenknecht, also opposes arms supplies to Ukraine and calls for negotiations with Russia.
A majority requires 45 seats, so the far-right, which won only 32 seats, will not be able to form a majority on its own. However, no other political party wants to unite with them, so it is likely that the majority will be formed by left-wing parties. If the Alliance of the Left takes place, it will not do without BSW, which is also pro-Russian. So it seems that in any case, the Thuringian parliament will be pro-Russian. Both the government and the opposition will be pro-Russian. This means that Thuringia will oppose providing Ukraine with military and financial assistance and will be in favour of negotiations with the Russians.