This Sunday’s elections in Thuringia and Saxony could mark a new chapter in German history. For the first time since World War II, a far-right party might win a state election.
Polls indicate that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) could secure victory in both eastern states, with voting intentions around 30%. The AfD is also leading in the polls for the September 22nd elections in Brandenburg.
Raya Kalenova, Executive Vice-President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), raised to Expresso her “concerns about the alarming rise of extremist parties, both far-right and far-left.”
“Defending democratic values and safeguarding human rights must always remain a primary responsibility of the German state, especially given its history,” she adds.
For the EJC leader, “at a time when antisemitism is rising drastically across Europe, including in Germany, the possibility of extremist formations like the AfD gaining power in German state elections is deeply concerning, especially in light of the Holocaust denial by the party’s lead candidate for the European Parliament.”
