Germany’s far-right AfD set for historic state win
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The news: The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is projected to secure its first state vote victory since World War II in regional eastern state elections, according to exit polls cited by news agencies.
The numbers: Projections from broadcaster ZDF cited by Reuters show AfD winning 33.1% of the vote in Thuringia, a historic result for a far-right party in Germany. Deutsche Welle cited exit polls with the AfD leading by 31% to the conservatives' 24%.
In neighbouring Saxony, the AfD was trailing Grermany’s conservative CDU party, which was ahead with 31.9%, according to ZDF’s projections.
The context: With Germany's national election just a year away, the results are a major setback for Olaf Scholz's ruling centre-left coalition, which is projected to end up with single-digit support.
All three coalition parties saw a decline in votes, with the Greens and Free Democrats barely above the threshold needed to remain in parliament.
The final week of the election campaigning was overshadowed by a fatal stabbing of three people at a festival in Solingen, by an alleged Syrian national whom authorities had failed to deport, likely boosting support for the anti-immigration AfD.
The sources: Deutsche Welle , Reuters
