The anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become the dominant political force in East Germany following regional elections in Brandenburg. Despite narrowly losing to the Social Democrats (SPD), the AfD now holds the most state parliament seats in the region, with 138 seats across East Germany. This surpasses the Christian Democrat Union (CDU), which now holds 128 seats, marking a significant power shift.
The AfD’s rise comes after a historic win in Thuringia, where it secured 32.8% of the vote. In Brandenburg, the AfD garnered 29.2%, just behind the SPD’s 30.9%. Additionally, the new leftist-populist party led by Sahra Wagenknecht made a strong showing, winning 13.5% of the vote, surpassing the CDU’s 12.1%. Wagenknecht’s party opposes mass migration but has ruled out any alliance with the AfD, despite aligning on certain key issues.
Meanwhile, the SPD faces internal challenges, as party leadership distances itself from Chancellor Olaf Scholz, focusing instead on regional leaders. SPD co-leader Lars Klingbei dismissed speculation about a change in leadership, insisting there is no internal discussion on the matter.
