Almost 30 years after German reunification, the right-wing populist AfD in eastern Germany has achieved historic results on Sunday. But the CDU won the state election in Saxony, despite strong profits of the AfD clear, in Brandenburg, the SPD could just before the right-wing populists.
In Saxony, the CDU received the official final result 32.1 percent of the vote (2014: 39.4 percent) and remained strong despite strong losses. The AfD won many votes and came to 27.5 percent (2014: 9.7), followed by the Left with 10.4 percent (2014: 18.9) and the Greens with 8.6 percent (2014: 5, 7 percent). Historically, the SPD plummeted to 7.7 percent (2014: 12.4). The FDP missed the entry into the state parliament with 4.5 percent. The exact distribution of mandates is still unclear.
In Brandenburg, the SPD achieved after counting all constituencies on Sunday evening 26.2 percent (2014: 31.9) their worst result in state elections in the state. The AfD became the second largest party with 23.5 percent (2014: 12.2). The CDU landed by far in third place and came to 15.6 percent (2014: 23.0). The Greens increased to 10.8 percent (2014: 6.2). The ruling with the SPD left slipped to 10.7 percent (2014: 18.6). The FDP also has to fear for their entry into the Potsdam Landtag, whereas the Free Voters scored just 5.0 percent. As with the German federal election, the five percent hurdle applies.
First reactions from Prime Minister
In the opinion of Saxony’s prime minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU), the result of the state election is linked to a message. „The friendly Saxony has won,“ he said on Sunday evening in Dresden. The people of Saxony have realized that it depends on who gets the strongest party and get the government mandate, he added with a view to the distanced from the CDU AfD. „This is a good day for our country,“ said Kretschmer: „Now it’s about forming a government that is good for our country.“ The talks and coalition negotiations took some time. „We go to work with humility,“ says Kretschmer.
Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) rated the electoral victory of his party as a sign of the desire for stability in the state. „I’m glad that the face of Brandenburg remains a friendly face,“ said Woidke in the ARD with a view to the strong performance of the AfD. „The challenges have not diminished,“ he added. Both Kretschmer in Saxony and Woidke in Brandenburg are expected to remain in office.
Scholz: „We can win“
In a first reaction, SPD Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the good performance of the Social Democrats in Brandenburg as the result of a „successful Prime Minister“ Woidke. Scholz also saw tailwind for his joint bid for the party presidency with the Brandenburg SPD direct candidate for the state election, Klara Geywitz.
„I’m really happy for the Social Democratic Party: we can win elections, that’s the message that emanates from today, and that’s why it has to go on and on over the next few years.“ No one can be satisfied with the result of the AfD Scholz says. „And that’s why everything in the next few years will be geared towards making them weaker again,“ he continued.
AfD claims participation
Thus, the first-time victory of the AFD in a state election, which appears at least temporarily possible in the polls, did not materialize. At the European elections on May 26, the AfD had become the strongest party in Saxony and Brandenburg. In Saxony, the AfD was also successful in the 2017 general election. But in the last few weeks before the election, the ruling parties had made up some lost ground in the polls over right-wing populists. Here, the official bonus in favor of the prime minister could play a role.
The AFD described their election results as „a great success“ and announced their claim to political participation. „No politics around us will be possible anymore,“ said AfD’s top candidate in Brandenburg, Andreas Kalbitz, in the evening. The AfD was „come to stay“. Bundestag faction leader Alice Weidel spoke of an „excellent result“. In Saxony, 60 percent of people would have elected conservative, and to ignore this electoral will would be „undemocratic,“ she said with reference to the statement of the Saxon CDU, the one coalition with the right-wing populists.
Im Bundesländervergleich waren bei den jeweils vergangenen Landtagswahlen nirgendwo so wenige Wahlberechtigte zu den Urnen gegangen wie in Brandenburg und Sachsen. Welchen Parteien die höhere Wahlbeteiligung nutzte, müssen die genaueren Analysen zeigen. Aus ihnen wird auch ersichtlich werden, welche Wählerwanderungen stattfanden.
