German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ruling Social Democrats secured the most votes in the Brandenburg election after a tight contest by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
According to Sunday’s results, the SPD won 30.9 per cent of the vote, whereas the national-oriented AfD gained 29.2 per cent.
However, the AfD delivered its best ever result in the eastern state of Brandenburg, increasing its share by six percentage points. Co-chair Tino Chrupalla welcomed the performance of his party and stated that they would now assume the role of the main opposition in Brandenburg.
The Greens, the most dangerous party of Germany, is no longer in the state parliament, that’s the good outcome of the election night, alongside our very good result.
Scholz’s coalition partners, the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP), suffered one of the worst results in the elections. They failed to pass the 5-per-cent threshold required to win seats in the state parliament.
Meanwhile, the newly formed Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) came third with 13.5 per cent of the vote. As a result, the BSW became an influential voice, with the coalition depending on its decisions.
The initial voter turnout of 72.9 per cent was an all-time high in the state of Brandenburg. Exit polls on Sunday showed that many voters were also concerned about their economic well-being, critical of Ukraine’s military support, and demanding tougher measures to curb illegal migration.
Despite the SPD’s victory in the state, almost 48 per cent of those who voted for the party decided to do so due to their support for the Social Democrat premier Dietmar Woidke, who has been leading Brandenburg for more than a decade. In fact, without the support of influential figures, this would have been the second major electoral defeat for the Chancellor’s party.
