Day: September 1, 2024

The co – leader of Germany ‘ s Greens , Omid Nouripour , has expressed hope that his party may still be part of a future government in the state of Saxony , despite a projected poor showing in state elections there . The Greens are forecast to collect 5 . 3 % to 5 . 5 %, barely over the 5 % threshold required to receive seats in German elections , according to initial forecasts by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF . Over the past five years , the Greens were part of a governing coalition led by the centre – right Christian Democrats ( CDU ) in the eastern state , and Nouripour said the coalition government had done good work . Meanwhile , the Greens are unlikely to take any seats in parliamentary elections in the neighbouring state of Thuringia , where they are projected to fall short of the 5 % threshold . Nouripour said the Greens ‘ projected result from Sunday ‘ s vote in Thuringia was painful , but added that he was even more worried about the far – right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) projected to take
first place . ” To be honest , my pain tonight is marginal compared to the fact that we have a profound turning point and an openly far – right party has become the strongest force in a state parliament for the first time since 1949 ,” he said . That year is when Germany held its first elections after the end of World War II and the defeat of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler ‘ s regime . dpa hrz xxde era bst

Source: The Namibia News Agency

The far – right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) will claim a clear victory in state parliamentary elections in the German state of Thuringia , well ahead of the second – place conservative Christian Democrats ( CDU ), initial exit polls show . dpa sku jed xxde bst era

Source: The Namibia News Agency

As victory loomed for the far – right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) in Sunday ‘ s state parliamentary polls in the central German state of Thuringia , media workers found themselves barred from the party ‘ s election day celebrations . Photographers and camera crews from around the country gathered outside the pub where AfD members and supporters were meeting in order to report the reactions of the party base . However , due to a legal stand – off with the party , media were denied entry to the event , at which AfD members were clearly in high spirits . Upon his arrival , the firebrand leader of the AfD ‘ s chapter in Thuringia Bj ö rn H ö cke said : ” We will be able to celebrate a historic victory today .” The AfD is projected to win the regional vote in Thuringia , according to initial forecasts after polling stations closed at 6 pm ( 1600 GMT ). However , it probably does not have an option to govern as all other parties have ruled out cooperation in advance . The decision to deny jo
urnalists access despite accreditation was only made on Saturday evening . Legal action taken by a group of media outlets , who must be granted access by court order , has forced the AfD ” to cancel the event in its previously planned form ,” said a party spokesman . The court ruling meant that more than 150 media representatives would have to be admitted to a venue that could only hold 200 people at best , in addition to 150 registered party guests , the AfD said of its decision . ” The event would have to be cancelled due to overcrowding . The safety of all participants would not be guaranteed ,” the spokesman said . dpa xxde rot pos nca era

Source: The Namibia News Agency

The far – right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) will claim a clear victory in state parliamentary elections in the German state of Thuringia , well ahead of the second – place conservative Christian Democrats ( CDU ), initial exit polls show . Projections from public broadcasters ARD and ZDF released just after polls closed at 6 pm ( 1600 GMT ) put the AfD at 30 . 5 % to 33 . 5 % of the vote , with the CDU trailing at 24 . 5 %. The upstart populist Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht ( BSW ), which has campaigned on a mix of left – wing economic policy and right – wing messages on immigration , is forecast to finish third in Thuringia with 14 . 5 % to 16 . 0 %. Incumbent state Premier Bodo Ramelow ‘ s hard – left Die Linke ( The Left ) is projected to slide into fourth place with 11 . 5 % to 12 . 5 % – a major slide from the most recent state parliamentary election in 2019 , when they claimed first place with 31 %. BSW broke away from Die Linke earlier this year in a bitter split that appears to have sapped aw
ay voters from the party . dpa sku jed xxde bst era

Source: The Namibia News Agency

The leader of the Christian Democrats ( CDU ) in the German state of Thuringia said on Sunday that his centre – right party has a mandate to form the next government , despite a projected second – place finish in state parliamentary elections . The far – right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) is projected to score a clear victory in Thuringia ‘ s election , according to exit polls released just after voting ended at 6 pm ( 1600 GMT ) on Sunday . But other political parties have all categorically ruled out any cooperation with the AfD , decrying the party as too radical and anti – democratic . Voigt underscored again on Sunday that he would not consider any such alignment . Voigt said the election results called for political change in the state , which has been governed by a left – wing coalition led by Bodo Ramelow of the hard – left Die Linke ( The Left ) party . ” As the CDU , we see this as an opportunity for political change under the leadership of the CDU ,” Voigt , 47 , said at an election evenin
g party in the state capital of Erfurt . He said he plans on leading coalition talks to form a ” sensible government in Thuringia under the leadership of the CDU ,” and added that he would approach the centre – left Social Democrats ( SPD ), who are projected to finish in fifth place . He also expressed openness to working with the upstart populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance ( BSW ), which has mixed anti – immigration stances with left – wing economic policies . dpa dhu sku xxde bst era

Source: The Namibia News Agency

Voters in the eastern German states of Thuringia and Saxony are casting their ballots on Sunday in state parliamentary elections that could upend the balance of power in both states and reverberate nationwide . Polls ahead of Sunday ‘ s election had put the far – right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) in the clear lead in Thuringia and narrowly trailing the centre – right Christian Democrats ( CDU ) in Saxony . The election results will decide the balance of power in the state parliaments in Thuringia and Saxony , which each hold considerable power over regional matters . Polls are set to close at 6 pm ( 1600 GMT ). Turnout in Sunday ‘ s elections has been running ahead of participation in the previous state parliamentary elections , held in 2019 . In the late afternoon , elections officials in Thuringia reported that 55 % of eligible voters had cast ballots , while 35 % of voters in Saxony had done so . Postal ballots , which are also expected to be up this year compared to 2019 , are not included in tho
se figures . Both states are in the former communist East Germany , where politics and voting patterns remain distinct more than three decades after reunification , and where outmigration and a lagging economy has helped fuel resentment . Saxony and Thuringia are relatively small – together , the states account for only about 7 % of Germany ‘ s population – but the surging popularity of extremists in the AfD there has drawn widespread attention across the country . Fiery far – right challenge draws headlines The leader of the AfD ‘ s state organization in Thuringia , the firebrand Bj ö rn H ö cke , has become a household name in the country because of his fiery attacks on immigration policy and his extremist rhetoric . He was twice convicted this year of knowingly quoting a banned Nazi slogan in speeches . Domestic intelligence agencies have labelled the AfD ‘ s state – level chapters in both Thuringia and Saxony as known far – right extremist groups , and H ö cke as an extremist . A breakthrough showing by
the AfD would stun the country , but is unlikely to bring the radical right – wing party to power in either state . No other political party outside of the extremist fringes has expressed any willingness to even consider working with the AfD . Tough coalition talks ? But the expected strong showings by the AfD could make cobbling together a functioning government difficult in either state . Another insurgent populist party , the self – described ” left – conservative ” newly launched Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance ( BSW ), has also been polling well . A miserable election for the three parties in German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ‘ s national coalition government , meanwhile , could further fuel bitter infighting among ministers with a year to go until nationwide parliamentary elections in September 2025 . Some polls have shown Scholz ‘ s centre – left Social Democrats ( SPD ) and main partner , the Greens , close to the 5 % threshold needed to take seats in German elections . The free – market liberal Free Democrats
( FDP ), meanwhile , have polled so poorly in the two eastern states that they have generally been lumped in with ” other ” in results . In Saxony , incumbent state Premier Michael Kretschmer ‘ s CDU have held a narrow lead in most polls . Kretschmer hopes to have the first crack at remaining in office at the head of a new government , though the results may require his CDU to consider some unexpected allies . Kretschmer expressed confidence when casting his vote on Sunday morning in Dresden , the state capital : ” We are here in Saxony , we will not be meddled with . We are going our own Saxon way .” The top SPD candidate , Petra K ö pping , was less confident , saying she has a ” queasy feeling . Now the voters have to decide .” In Thuringia , forming a new government may be particularly difficult . Bodo Ramelow of the hard – left Die Linke ( The Left ) has been leading a fragile minority government . Ramelow remains personally popular with many voters in Thuringia , but Die Linke has fallen in the pol
ls after Wagenknecht bolted the party to form the BSW . The split , combined with increased support for the AfD , has further fractured politics in the state . dpa bst era wjh cro era

Source: The Namibia News Agency