A recent anti-immigration rally in Goerlitz, a city near the Polish border, has given a significant boost to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The party scored over 20 percent in national elections on February 23, achieving a near clean sweep of constituencies in the former communist east.
The AfD’s strong result comes as voters in the region feel “left behind” after decades of change. Goerlitz native Liane Rabin, who participated in a counter-protest, said that people felt pushed into a new society when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
In the wider Goerlitz district, AfD’s national co-leader and local candidate Tino Chrupalla won 48.9 percent of the vote, beating the CDU’s local candidate Florian Oest by a wide margin. The AfD’s success is attributed to its anti-immigration stance, with out-of-work single father Falk Richter saying that politicians prioritize foreigners over Germans.
The far right’s strength in the east has been a long-standing issue, and Goerlitz’s mayor Octavian Ursu said it’s not a new phenomenon. The CDU and CSU sister party topped national polls but failed to win in Goerlitz behind the AfD.
Local voters cited frustrations with mainstream parties over issues like social justice, infrastructure, and economic strength. Rail worker Frank Ruzicka said that locals voted for the AfD due to dissatisfaction with public services and rising living costs. The head of the AfD’s district office predicted that if other parties don’t change course, the AfD could win 50 percent in the 2029 elections.
The eastern regions are seen as a “seismograph” for Germany’s political mood, and Mayor Ursu urged politicians to act quickly to convince voters of positive alternatives.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/german-city-seismograph-for-far-right-afd-surge/articleshow/119007225.cms?from=mdr