Germany’s anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany is on course for victory in the eastern state of Thuringia, according to projections.
The AfD is set to win 30.8% of the vote, says a projection for public broadcaster ARD, more than six points ahead of the conservative CDU, and far in front of Germany’s three governing parties.
If confirmed, it would give the far right its first vote win in a state parliament since World War Two, although it is unlikely to be able to form a government in Thuringia.
Some five million Germans were eligible to vote in two state elections in the east on Sunday. The AfD is also close behind the conservative CDU in the election for a state parliament in Saxony.
In Saxony, an ARD projection gave the CDU 31.6% and the AfD 30.4%, again far ahead of the three parties running the national government.
The AfD’s top candidate in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, who is a highly controversial figure in Germany, hailed a “historic victory”.
His party has been designated as right-wing extremist and he has been fined for using a Nazi slogan, although the former history teacher denies knowingly doing so.
Nationally, the AfD is second in the opinion polls and co-leader Alice Weidel said it was clear that voters in both eastern states wanted her party in government: “Without us a stable government is no longer possible at all.”
“Politicians have promised a lot, particularly concerning migration and foreigners,” AfD voter Michael told the BBC in Thuringia’s state capital Erfurt.
“But nothing happened. Nothing. Just promises came from these parties. Now I have my party. And I stand with my decision.”
Immigration played a big part in Sunday’s election, but the AfD also wants to stop weapons supplies to Ukraine, as does a new party heading for third place in both states, the BSW of left-wing populist leader Sahra Wagenknecht.
Although she has similar ideas to the AfD on Ukraine, Ms Wagenknecht has refused to take part in any coalition with the party, which gives the far right little chance of running Thuringia.
If the projections are confirmed, the AfD is on course to win 30 seats in the 88-seat state parliament in Thuringia, and the CDU 24 seats, with only one of the three parties in the national government represented.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is set to win just seven seats, with none for the Greens and liberal FDP.
With federal elections only a year away, Sunday’s elections have underlined the unpopularity of Germany’s ruling “traffic-light” coalition, so named because of the red, yellow and green of the party colours.
A third eastern state, Brandenburg, is due to vote in three weeks’ time and although the AfD is ahead in the opinion polls, the Social Democrats and conservatives are only a few points behind.
