2024-09-07 08:05:30
What will happen next after the AfD win?
It has been an eventful week.
Far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the largest share of votes in Thuringia, marking the first time a far-right party has won a state election in Germany since WWII.
In Saxony, the AfD also made strong gains, trailing the conservative CDU party. Meanwhile Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), a new left-wing populist party, has the third largest share of votes in both states.
So what happens now?
The main parties have refused to enter into a coalition with the anti-immigration AfD, meaning that it is unlikely that the party will take power, although they will have more influence.
Now long and complicated talks are underway, mainly by the CDU, and time will tell how (or if) the parties can build alliances to put together new state parliaments.
Demonstrators display a banner reading ‘Ban AfD now’ and ‘Mario Voigt says no to AfD’ during a demonstration in front of the Thuringia State Parliament in Erfurt, eastern Germany, on September 1, 2024 , during Thuringia regional election day. Photo by John MACDOUGALL/AFP
Many are wondering what this means for Germany and the upcoming federal election next year. At the time the AfD was polling in second place across the country, well behind the CDU. But there is still a state election coming up in Brandenburg on September 22nd where the AfD is expected to prepare.
Another result of the votes in Saxony and Thuringia is that the parties that belong to the current federal coalition (Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats) did nothing.
Pinto from India told us they are worried about the future which may involve “policy changes which affect immigration and citizenship for me and my family”.
Fatemah, an Indian citizen living in Munich, told Community that she was concerned about “the possibility of an increase in hate crimes, racism and Islamophobia”.
Another reader, Ali, from the UK, said: “The rise of the far right worries me wherever it is. But for the AfD to be popular, it feels like a war truce after ‘Don’t Repeat’ is a forget.”
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Happy birthday to Currywurst
September 4th marks 75 years since Currywurst was invented! Do you count this as one of your favorite German snacks?
Happy 75th birthday, Currywurst!
On this day in 1949, Herta Heuwer is said to have made the first Currywurst in Berlin, after receiving ketchup and curry powder from British soldiers stationed in Germany.
Today, it is one of the most popular fast food snacks in Germany. pic.twitter.com/PS8Acdvz57
– German Embassy London (@GermanEmbassy) September 4, 2024
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Hiding from the heat
We can say goodbye to summer, but it’s still getting hot in many parts of Germany.
In Berlin, temperatures soared above 32C at one point this week, while there were storms elsewhere.
It may be because I spent a fortnight in Scotland in August where the autumn weather arrived early (it always does), but I found the heat difficult to deal with.
It is interesting to report on how cities in Germany are preparing for rising temperatures. Many German cities have developed a ‘warmth plan’, for developing better ways to protect people from dangerous temperatures and provide more cool spaces.
But some cities are ahead of others in terms of converting protected areas into green spaces (which are among the best ways to freshen up a city center). These include Detmold and Potsdam.
Temperatures are set to dip slightly across the country next week. But if you’re still struggling this weekend, check out our story which has some very helpful advice:
And my personal tip to get through the heat wave (or even in the rain) is: eat lots of ice cream.
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