What is the significance of AfD’s win in Germany? | Explained
The far-right AfD party achieved a significant electoral victory in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, winning 39 seats. The party, which originated as an anti-Euro movement, has shifted its focus to anti-immigration policies and is currently labeled as extremist by German authorities.
Why it matters
The rise of the AfD represents a major shift in the German political landscape and challenges the traditional 'firewall' maintained by mainstream parties.
The story so far: The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won a major victory in the regional election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. It won 39 seats of the 83-member state parliament, falling just three seats short of an absolute majority.
The AfD was established in 2013 as a direct rejoinder to then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policies on the Euro, which advocated for fiscal austerity and structural reforms in order to keep the Eurozone intact. To criticisms of such policies, she would often say that these reforms were ‘without alternative’ (alternativlos), leading to the emergence of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party.
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