The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, expressed his dismay at the AfD’s strong performance in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. The party intends to “move away from the consensus of the Federal Republic”, he said. “Personally, I am appalled by this election result.”
The AfD won the election by a clear margin and is seeking to form a government. However, according to preliminary results, its nearly 44 per cent share of the vote is not enough to secure a majority. The CDU, led by Minister-President Sven Schulze, won just over 17 per cent. The Left, the Greens and the SPD each received around 9 per cent. Sahra Wagenknecht’s alliance narrowly cleared the 5 per cent threshold and won seats in the state parliament, while the FDP failed to do so.
Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, warned against the AfD participating in the government of Saxony-Anhalt. “The damage that the so-called Alternative for Germany would cause if it came to power would be immense.” He is particularly concerned about “the influence they would exert on so many children and young people through a radically transformed education policy”. Education, he said, is “the most important foundation for preserving our open society and combating antisemitism”.
