Exit polls showed Germany’s anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany expected to win in the eastern state of Thuringia.
Exit polls for public broadcaster ARD showed the AfD would win 30.5% of the vote, 6 percentage points ahead of the conservative Christian Democrats and well ahead of Germany’s three ruling parties.
If confirmed, it would be the first time the far-right has won votes in the state parliament since World War II, although it is unlikely to form a government in Thuringia.
About five million Germans are eligible to vote in two eastern state elections on Sunday. The Alternative for Germany also followed closely behind the conservative CDU in the Saxony state parliamentary elections.
The ARD exit poll showed that the CDU’s support rate in Saxony was 31.5%, while the Alternative Party’s was 30%, once again far ahead of the three parties that govern the national government.
Björn Höcke, the top candidate of Thuringia’s Alternative for Germany party, is a highly controversial figure in Germany.
His party identifies him as a right-wing extremist and he has been fined for using Nazi slogans, although the former history teacher denies doing so intentionally.
Immigration issues played a big role in Sunday’s election, but the Alternative for Germany also wants to stop arms supplies to Ukraine, while former Communist Party member Sahra Wagenknecht, who is running for third place in both states, The Socialist Party (BSW) led by Sahra Wagenknecht also wants to stop the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
“Politicians have made a lot of promises, especially when it comes to immigration and foreigners,” AfD voter Michael told the BBC in Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia state.
“But nothing happened. Nothing. Just promises from these parties. Now I have my party. I stand by my decision.”
If exit polls are confirmed, the AfD is expected to win 30 seats in Thuringia’s 88-seat state parliament, while only one of the three parties in the national government is represented.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) are expected to win just seven seats, with the Greens and Free Democrats none.
In Saxony, the CDU is expected to receive 31.5% of the vote, just 1.5 percentage points ahead of the AfD.
