Crushing AfD victory: a political earthquake in Germany

EDITORIAL. The far-right party won the regional elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt by a wide margin, without however securing an absolute majority. Is this a deep-seated trend in Germany? Europeans are making no secret of their concern Can a state of some 2 million inhabitants determine Germany's destiny? The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's resounding victory in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday in the Landtag elections is a political earthquake in Germany. The country has rebuilt itself since 1945 to prevent the emergence of a new far right. The AfD achieved a stratospheric score of 44.5% of the vote against 18.5% for the CDU, the party of Christian Democrat Chancellor Friedrich Merz. A resounding rebuke and a measure of the countless frustrations of the inhabitants of the former East Germany. The AfD's programme profoundly calls into question the very foundations of an open, multicultural Germany as we have known it in recent decades. One illustration? The war that the far right has declared on the Bauhaus, which throughout its existence embodied German modernism, amounts to a new Kulturkampf. Henceforth, one must "think German" and drive from the country anything connected with foreign influence. "Our country first (Unser Land zuerst)" echoes Donald Trump's "America First". Since the far right does not have an absolute majority, a "cordon sanitaire"-style coalition stretching from the radical left Die Linke to the CDU could conceivably be formed. The slogan heard on Sunday evening was: "Prevent the destruction of democracy". But beyond the good intentions, such a motley alliance seems unworkable. A wild scenario: Sahra Wagenknecht's far-left party does not appear to rule out joining forces with the AfD. Two pro-Russian parties riding high, especially in the former East Germany. The meteoric rise of the AfD, which aims to establish itself at the federal level, is taking place against the backdrop of a politically weakened Germany beset by creeping insecurity. The erosion of the export-driven economic model has destabilised the country. The collapse of the car industry, deeply rooted in the German psyche, raises questions about the ability of Europe's largest economy to bounce back. If the AfD's rise were to be confirmed elsewhere in the country, the entire revolution launched by Olaf Scholz with his Zeitenwende ("historic turning point") and continued by Friedrich Merz could be called into question. This policy marked a complete reversal with regard to Russia, now seen as a genuine threat, and aims to transform Germany's defence and security strategy, notably in support of Ukraine. The weakness of the Merz government and the traditional parties risks giving a clear run to a far-right party that already frightens the whole of Europe. Has Der Spiegel not described the AfD's figurehead in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, as "the most dangerous man in Germany"? Les éditoriaux et commentaires du Temps expriment un avis sur un sujet d'actualité traité par ailleurs sur nos supports. En ce sens, ils se distinguent donc des articles standards et se caractérisent en général par un style plus vif. 📌 Back-to-school offer: the digital subscription at CHF 5.-/month for 5 months!