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BackFrance's European Affairs Minister warns Germany's far-right victory is a grim moment for Europe
France's European Affairs Minister warns Germany's far-right victory is a grim moment for Europe
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中央社39 minutes agoPolitics2 min readChinaView original

France's European Affairs Minister warns Germany's far-right victory is a grim moment for Europe

francegermanyfar right

Quick Look

  • France's European Affairs Minister Haddad pointed out that Germany's far-right AfD party won an overwhelming victory in the local elections in Saxony-Anhalt with 44% of the vote, becoming the first far-right party expected to take power at the state level since World War II.
  • He called on politicians to be humble and listen to voters' concerns, but warned that nationalism and xenophobia are not the solution.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

The German far-right party AfD has continued to increase in support at the national level in recent years and has become the second largest political party in Germany. It achieved 44% of the vote in the local elections in Saxony-Anhalt, showing its strong influence in East Germany, while the traditional conservative Christian Democrats suffered heavy losses, reflecting the profound divisions in Germany's political landscape.

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(Central News Agency Paris/Berlin Comprehensive Foreign News Report on the 6th) French European Affairs Minister Benjamin Haddad said today that the overwhelming victory of the German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in local elections was a "severe moment" and called on politicians to be humble and listen to the voices of voters.

Agence France-Presse reported that according to predictions by German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, the anti-immigration AfD easily won in Saxony-Anhalt.

Haddad posted on the social platform X: "Seeing the far right win in German local elections is a serious moment for Europe."

He added: "We must humbly listen to and respond to anger, concern and fear. But nationalism and xenophobia are not the answer."

He pointed out: "We cannot forget history. This is the deep meaning behind the choices made by France and Germany."

Television forecasts show that the AfD will get 44% of the vote, doubling its support, far ahead of the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) led by Prime Minister Friedrich Merz, who will get about 18% of the vote.

According to Reuters, exit polls showed that the AfD jumped to first place in the Saxony-Anhalt state election today, putting the far-right party on track to take power at the state level for the first time since World War II.

Although it did not reach an absolute majority, the AfD still won 44% of the vote, severely damaging the conservatives led by Merz, reflecting the extremely low public opinion of Germany's ruling coalition in a divided political landscape.

The AfD is now the most popular political party in Germany at the national level and is seeking to lay a foothold to advance political ideas, including strict restrictions on immigration, restoring relations with Russia, cutting aid to Ukraine and exiting the euro zone.

As vote counting continues, it is still unclear whether the AfD will be able to successfully form a government, but the far-reaching political significance of this election is quite clear. According to data from German TV station 2, the turnout this year was as high as 77%.

"We have made history in this country," said Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD's 35-year-old lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt.

He attracted thousands of people at rallies and repeatedly regarded this victory as the first step to seizing national power in the 2029 federal election.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • The AfD will try to form a government in Saxony-Anhalt, and even if it does not reach an absolute majority, it may achieve power through coalition negotiations.

    Likely · Within weeks

  • Germany’s traditional political parties will intensify their political containment and policy confrontation against the far right, especially on immigration and European issues.

    Likely · Within months

Open Questions

  • Will the AfD be able to successfully form a government in Saxony-Anhalt?
  • Will this local election victory translate into a substantial advantage in the 2029 federal election?
  • If the AfD takes power, how will it implement its proposals to cut aid to Ukraine and withdraw from the euro zone?

Related Topics

france
PeopleHaddadMerzSigmund
OrganizationsFrench Ministry of European Affairsgerman christian democratsalternative partyGermany's first television station
PlacesSaxony-Anhaltgermany
Topicsgermanyfar rightafdSaxony-AnhaltHaddadMerz
This article was originally published by 中央社.

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