Exit polls: far-right AfD is in the lead in Thuringia, the first time for a German far-right party since 1945, and on course for major gains in Saxony.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become the strongest party in Thuringia with 30.5% of the vote, according to exit polls on Sunday.
The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has fallen to second place in popularity within the region at 24.5%.
In Saxony, the CDU remains the dominant political party, but only barely. They received 31.5% of the vote, while AfD received 30%.
A months-old leftist party led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) also enjoyed great success, achieving 16% of the vote in Thuringia and 12% in Saxony.
Many viewed the results of these elections as a barometer of public sentiment for the current government ahead of Germany’s next national election, due in a little over a year.
“This is a historic success for us,” said national co-leader of the AfD Alice Weidel.
The results of the state elections in both federal regions mean forming a government will be very difficult.
It is extremely unlikely that any other party will agree to put AfD in power by joining it in a coalition, with the CDU’s national general secretary Carsten Linnemann saying his party will stick to its longstanding refusal to work with the far-right group.
Deep discontent with a national coalition government notorious for infighting combined with anti-immigration sentiment and scepticism towards military aid for Ukraine contributed to the rise of populist parties in the East German regions.
AfD is at its strongest in the formerly communist eastern part of the country — with the German intelligence agency having the party’s branches in both Saxony and Thuringia under official surveillance as right-wing extremist groups.
Another state election is expected on 22 September in the further eastern German state of Brandenburg, currently led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats.
