Tusk warns against Poles' joy over the Alternative for Germany's victory in Saxony-Anhalt
Quick Look
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that the Poles' joy over the victory of the Alternative for Germany party in the Saxony-Anhalt elections indicates stupidity or betrayal, while an exit poll showed that the party obtained 44.5% of the votes, more than double its result in 2021, raising fears of the rise of the far right in Europe and its impact on security and relations with Russia.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
No German state has achieved a government led by a party classified as 'far-right' since World War II, and the victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt represents the first major success for a party of this type at the level of a German state.
Tusk wrote on the X platform: “In Poland, only fools or traitors can rejoice over the victory of the AfD in Germany. A small number of them have gathered in the CFD and Law and Justice parties.”
According to the exit poll data of the “Infratest Dimap” institute for the “ARD” channel, the “AfD” party leads the elections with 44.5%, which is more than double its result in the 2021 elections, which reached 20.8%, while the ruling party, the Christian Democratic Union, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, gets only 18.5%, that is, less than half of what it got five years ago.
This sweeping victory comes at a time when no German country has achieved a government led by a party classified as “extreme right-wing” since World War II, which has raised widespread concerns in Germany and abroad.
The newspaper "Bild" had previously reported that the Saxony-Anhalt elections may be "the beginning of the end" for the current German government led by Friedrich Merz, and raised the issue of its early resignation. Center parties, including the Christian Democratic Union, are trying to prevent the formation of a regional government led by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), but the party is heading towards obtaining a majority of seats in the state parliament, especially if some small parties are unable to cross the five percent threshold.
The Polish Prime Minister expressed his fears that this victory would be the beginning of a wave of the rise of the extreme right in Europe, which may reflect negatively on European security and relations with Russia, in light of the positions of the Alternative for Germany in support of Moscow and opposition to providing weapons to Ukraine.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Alternative for Germany party will try to form a regional government in Saxony-Anhalt if it wins a majority of seats.
Likely · Within weeks
Center parties will continue to try to prevent the formation of an AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the Alternative for Germany party be able to form a government in Saxony-Anhalt despite opposition from the center parties?
- How will this win affect Germany's policies towards Russia and Ukraine at the federal level?
- Will this result spur other far-right parties in Europe to make similar gains?
