2024-08-24 09:07:22
Voting in eastern Germany is hot
With just over a week to go before people in Thuringia and Saxony vote for a new state parliament, proxy votes have captured the tense political mood.
The surveys, conducted on behalf of the German broadcaster ARD, show that in Saxony, it is a tight race between the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). And in Thuringia the AfD is leading.
Saxony is currently governed by a coalition of the CDU, SPD and Greens – a coalition that would not have a majority if the vote were normal.
According to the polls, the CDU is set to secure 31 percent of the vote in Saxony, while the AfD is in power for 30 percent. Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) Alliance is the third strongest force with 14 percent of the vote. The polling agency put the Social Democrats (SPD) at seven percent and the Greens at six percent. left (The Left Party) is currently missing the 5 percent threshold to enter parliament.
In Thuringia, the AfD, with its controversial regional leader Björn Höcke, could emerge as the strongest force in the state elections, with the current vote at 30 percent. It is followed by CDU with 23 percent and BSW with 17 percent. The Left Party will get 13 percent and the SPD seven percent, polls say. The Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP) both voted three percent. The Left is currently in a coalition government with the SPD and the Greens.
Supporters gather as Björn Höcke, leader and top candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the eastern German state of Thuringia, addresses an election campaign event in Apolda, eastern Germany on August 18. Year 2024. Photo by JENS SCHLUETER / AFP
Unfortunately, support for Höcke and his group came after high court cases where he was fined twice for using banned Nazi speech. The AfD’s state unit in the state has also been classified as extremist by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency.
However many people are staying far-right and sometimes in inventive ways. We reported last week how the group’s orchestra took them the things of life (live noise) music announcements to Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia.
We have yet to see exactly how the elections will turn out. Polls provide a snapshot of the political landscape but many people decide on their vote at the last minute. September is an important month for politics in Germany. And with Brandenburg holding state elections on September 22nd, all eyes are on the east.
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Tweet of the week
We think ‘Mustermann’ might be one of the trickier surnames to explain to German bureaucrats.
It may cause some problems… pic.twitter.com/CxOEJVe40r
– Tessa Discover Görlitz (@tessaapproves) August 18, 2024
Why are many parts of Germany called “Switzerland”?
From the Saxon Switzerland, Franconian Switzerland to the Holstein Switzerland (Saxon Switzerland, Franconian Switzerland and Holstein Switzerland), many parts of Germany are named after neighboring countries.
In total there are over 100 places in Germany that have “Switzerland” – but why?
It comes down to Switzerland’s beauty. The country is known for its stunning landscapes, including beautiful mountains, blue lakes and quaint villages.
Similar landscapes can be found in Germany, and since some of these areas are said to be comparable to the beauty of Switzerland, they were given the nickname “Schweiz” (Switzerland) in the 19th century. , according to a report in Germany’s RND this week.
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At that time the rich wanted the Alps as a tourist destination. So if a long trip to Switzerland is too stressful or expensive for them, they travel to similar areas in Germany such as Gößweinstein, Waischenfeld or Buttenheimwhich became known as Franconian Switzerland.
Artists and writers are said to have coined the term as early as the Romantic period.
But there are also some “Switzerland” in the lowlands of Germany, for example in Dithmarschen, East Frisia or Münsterland. The beautiful landscape or grazing cows are enough for some regions to be compared to Switzerland and added to the region’s reputation.
Swiss beauty is known around the world. There are also places in the likes of France, Poland, Israel, Namibia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Haiti, Martinique and the USA that have ‘Switzerland’ in their names.
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